


With you by my side

by LadyMyst



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Alpha Sephiroth, Alpha Zack Fair, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Altersex, Background Relationships, Blood and Injury, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Instability, Minor Sephiroth/Cloud Strife, Mpreg, Multi, Not always canon compliant, Omega Cloud Strife, Omega Verse, Possessive Behavior, Rape/Non-con Elements, Zack Fair Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:40:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 39,304
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25738945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyMyst/pseuds/LadyMyst
Summary: They had finally managed to reach Midgar. Both had seen better days sure, but at least they were alive. What more could go wrong?Apparently the greatest threat the world has ever known deciding it was a good time to make a move. He had better work harder if he wants to be the hero.Zack lives au, with a bit of omegaverse thrown in. Because why not?
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 98
Kudos: 344





	1. We made it buddy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a long time I have wanted to write a Zack lives au. But at the same time I also wanted to write an omegaverse fic. So after much deliberation I decided, why not both at the same time?

He immediately knew something was wrong the second he walked past the locker room. The sounds of a scuffle followed by a loud smack caused Zack to stop dead in his tracks. Curiosity, as well as a sense of foreboding deep in his gut led him to peek in and see what the commotion was about. 

As soon as he opened the door he caught the scent of something pleasantly sweet. A huge improvement over the usual locker room smell of sweat and disinfectant.

Before him was a small gathering of cadets. He counted four in total, three of them were definitely alphas and each had surrounded the smallest one. They must have been distracted as none had appeared to notice Zack enter the room, their attention solely on the person that they had cornered. 

He suddenly realised where the sweet smell was coming from. It was the scent of an omega. An unmated one at that judging by the intensity of the smell. He had almost forgotten that Shinra had recently started allowing omegas to serve in the military. It was a controversial move and one that was unfortunately unpopular. The main complaints being that omegas were unsuited to a military life and would only distract the alphas.

If only they had seen the omegas from his hometown. No one would dare claim that omegas were weak.

"You _do_ realise that you're a liability right? You're gonna get people killed looking after your pathetic ass." The ringleader and the biggest of the cadets taunted, leaning in closer to his victim so that his face was only mere inches away. "Is that how you managed to get in? Using that ass of yours?"

Incensed, Zack marched forward. "What's going on here?" He demanded.

The alpha, who had grabbed the omega roughly by his collar, started to look behind him. The second he did the omega swung his fist, connecting with his tormentor's jaw. An almighty crack filled the room, echoing off of the tiled walls. The two other cadets stood back in shock, looking unsure over what to do. 

"You stupid little-!" The ringleader snarled, nursing the side of his jaw. He raised his fist, ready to strike but Zack had already reached him, grabbing his shoulder firmly and spun him around to face him.

"That's enough!" He growled. The other two looked ready to jump in and defend their friend, but immediately backed off once they noticed his uniform.

"That's enough…." He repeated, glancing down at the cadets name badge. "Crawford. Now you can all leave this cadet alone, or I can have you all written up for harassment. And trust me, that's not a good look on your permanent file."

Crawford's eyes narrowed dangerously. "He struck _me_." He complained. 

Zack looked over at the omega, noticing the nasty red mark on his cheek. No doubt from the loud smack he had heard before.

"Really? Cause it looked to me like it was a case of self defence. Unless that mark on his cheek just magically appeared?" 

Crawford looked ready to argue, but quickly decided against it. Instead he quickly schooled his expression into one of barely concealed fury.

"So are we going to have any more problems?" He asked.

Crawford shook his head. "Of course not…" His pause clearly showed his contempt. "Sir."

"Good. Now I suggest you get out of here." He indicated towards the door.

The three quickly left the locker room without so much as a glance back. Though he could sense the anger radiating off of Crawford like a festering wound. He made a mental note to keep an eye on that one.

He was reminded of a rather tiny dog from back home. The one that belonged to the old couple who ran the inn. It was loud, ill tempered and spoiled rotten. Without fail it would always try to pick fights with every other dog in the village, especially the ones that were more than double its size. Any time another dog showed any hint of aggression back, it would quickly run away with It's tail between its legs. Only to do the same thing again and again. Almost as if it was desperate to prove something. And people like Crawford were exactly like that dog. All too aware of how weak and cowardly they really were. Because of that they spent all their time desperately trying to convince themselves and everyone else just how tough they actually were. All by targeting those they saw as weaker, but only while surrounded by their friends of course, never once alone. This probably wasn't the first case of harassment and he doubted it would be the last. He would have to have a word with Crawford's commanding officer.

He turned to the cadet who he had helped and once he got a proper look at his face he had to stop himself from gasping out loud. 

He was stunning, gorgeous even. Bright sapphire eyes that he could see himself getting lost in. Spiky yet soft blonde hair that resembled a chocobo somewhat. It was actually quite endearing. And the scent he gave off. Oranges and cinnamon. It made him think of cozy winter nights, sitting in front of a roaring fire, a hot drink in hand and draped in a soft woollen blanket.

"You ok?" He blurted out, painfully aware he had been staring.

The cadet refused to meet his eyes, most likely embarrassed. Zack's attention was drawn back to his cheek which had now started to swell. Crawford was definitely not going to get away with that.

"Yeah." The cadet mumbled at last. 

The boy was young, probably younger than he was. Most likely only just old enough to join the military. 

"That was a hell of a right hook you have." He blurted out. 

The cadet blushed slightly, his guarded expression started to soften. 

"So, I haven't seen you around. You new?" He immediately wanted to kick himself. What a stupid question, of course the kid was new, he was an omega, he could only have joined a couple of months ago.

The omega nodded. "This is only my third week."

"Hell of a welcoming eh?" He indicated towards the door. "They given you any trouble before?"

"A bit." He looked up at Zack, a steely look in his eyes. "I'm used to it though. There were people like that back home as well." He added bitterly. 

Zack could sympathise. Some people were quite old fashioned when it came to alpha and omega roles. It was quite a shock when he had first arrived in Midgar. Gongaga was quite progressive and so he had naively thought everywhere was the same. Too many people only saw omegas as weak and emotional, only good for breeding and looking after the house. He wondered how a male omega must have been treated. They were rare, so rare that the only other male omegas he knew of were all elderly. It would no doubt have made him stand out even more.

"Sorry to hear that." A moment of silence passed between them. "You're not from Midgar then?" He asked, hoping to change the subject once he noticed how uncomfortable the boy was getting.

"Nibelheim."

He had heard of Nibelheim. Though he couldn't say he knew much beyond the fact that they were known for the Nibel dragon that roamed the mountains. A fearsome monster but it's meat was said to be delicious. It was quite the delicacy in Midgar, especially amongst the rich. 

"Oh wow. A fellow country boy then?"

The boy seemed to be more at ease than he was before. His body relaxing and even the hint of a smile starting to form."Where are you from then?"

Zack puffed his chest out proudly. "Me? Gongaga."

The boy laughed and Zack swore he had never before heard such a beautiful sound in his life.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"Well…" The boy paused, obviously thinking about his next few words carefully. "It's such a backwater name." 

Maybe he didn't think too carefully after all.

"Oh and Nibelheim isn't?" He shot back with mock outrage. But he couldn't keep up the pretence for long and it wasn't long before they both were laughing joyfully together. He didn't even understand why. The names weren't that funny and yet here they were, laughing like they had heard the funniest joke in the world.

Once their laughter had died down Zack asked the one question he had been dying to know.

"So what's your name?" 

"Cloud. Cloud Strife."

He gave Cloud what he hoped was one of his most charming smiles. "Nice to meet ya Cloud. I'm Zack Fair."

* * *

  
  


His body felt like it was burning from the inside. Every wound, every bruise and every ache cried out in protest as he forced his body forward. Looking back on recent events it was a miracle he was still alive. When they had been confronted by a battalion of Shinra troops on the cliffs overlooking Midgar, he was convinced he was as good as dead. Yet he had survived. His guardian angel must have been working overtime. 

While he was fighting for his life he had only one thought on his mind. Protecting Cloud. They might have settled for trying to kill him, but Shinra still had use for Cloud. A fertile male omega was far too precious to give up. And he would never let them get their hands on him again. That determination was probably what got him through the fight.

All that spare energy he had managed to summon was almost completely used up however. Although he wanted nothing more than to just lie down and rest, he knew he couldn't stop until they were someplace safe. He would be pretty bummed out if they had managed to survive travelling halfway across the world in their condition while at the same time managing to narrowly avoid getting captured by Shinra numerous times, to only pass out and become dinner for any monsters that prowled the slums searching for easy prey.

As they rounded the corner of a collapsed building he felt a wave of relief. Up ahead was the familiar sight of the sector 5 church. In five years it hadn't changed a bit. The sight was certainly comforting. 

Suddenly something strange happened, as he had merely blinked and instead of staring at the church he was staring at the metal plate that hung high above the slums.

 _When did I fall over?_ He glanced to his side and saw Cloud also sprawled out on the ground. He was awake again, even if he did seem to still be in a daze. His eyes glazed over as if his body had just woken up from a deep slumber and his mind had yet to catch up. Cloud slowly reached for him, his arm shaking. Zack reached over and gripped his hand tightly, their fingers interlocked.

"We made it buddy." He murmured. "You'll be okay... now." He barely finished his sentence before exhaustion finally overtook him. Though even while unconscious, his grip on Cloud's hand never loosened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this was edited and posted really late for me, which is a big no no. But if you've reached the end hopefully you enjoyed it and will come back for more.
> 
> You probably noticed the minor Sephiroth/Cloud tag. While Zack/Cloud is the main pairing there will be a bit of Sephiroth/Cloud. Mostly one-sided however. Cloud hates his guts and Sephiroth is basically a stalker with a crush. I just wasn't sure if I should add it in the main relationship tag.


	2. Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a gruelling five years, Zack and Cloud have finally earned some rest.

Aerith sighed when she entered the guest room. 

Zack had managed to kick the blanket off of the bed yet again. His body sprawled out spreadeagled, left arm hanging loosely over the side, snoring loudly in his sleep. He couldn't sit still for a minute when awake, asleep he wasn't much better. Not for the first time she had wondered where he got all that energy from.

It had been a surprise finding two unconscious men outside the church. Both looking on the verge of death. It was an even bigger surprise when she had discovered one of them was an old friend. A friend that she had not heard from for five years now.

She was glad that some of the children had been with her that day, she had wasted no time in sending them to go and call for help. There was no way she could have dragged them both back to town on her own, and she didn't dare leave them alone in their state.

When Zack had finally come to, he nearly cried in relief when he saw her. It took a few days, as she didn't want to push him, but she managed to hear the full story about his sudden disappearance. It was horrifying. She was well aware how depraved Shinra was, but even she had been shocked at how low the company would really go.

She was thankful that they had both made it more or less safely to Midgar. Even though Zack's body was broken, bruised and bleeding. His wounds covered his body like some morbid painting. Thankfully, no doubt due to his SOLDIER healing, he was recovering quickly.

Cloud on the other hand wasn't doing as well. The doctor had informed her that he was suffering from mako poisoning, quite a severe case at that. He was apparently now over the worst of it, so it was only a matter of time before he recovered fully. Sure enough, he did appear to be getting better each day, being awake more often than not. Though sometimes while awake he was delirious, often calling out for someone or something. Other times it was like he was a blank slate. 

He did have moments of lucidity however. On such a day she introduced herself, though she did wish they could have met during better circumstances. After all, she had heard all about Cloud many years before.

She knew who he was almost immediately. Zack had explained in great detail everything about him, from his looks, to his personality, even his mannerisms, such as the way his nose would crinkle a little when he was annoyed. 

_ So this is the omega who captured Zack's heart,  _ she had thought. Not that she could blame him. Cloud was just positively adorable, she doubted Zack was his only admirer. 

She was looking forward to getting to know him better.

As she finished tucking Zack back in she heard movement behind her. Cloud had woken up, staring at her vacantly until recognition had finally kicked in.

"Well good morning!" She said cheerfully. "If you're feeling up to it, breakfast won't be long."

She could see him processing the information. He started to sit up, arms shaking slightly as he used them to support his weight.

"Oh, don't push yourself. I can bring it up to you." She offered gently.

He shook his head. "Tired of being in bed all the time." He mumbled. 

As he got to his feet he stumbled slightly. She went to help him but backed off when he quickly regained his balance. He glanced over at Zack who remained oblivious to everything.

"Shall we let him sleep a bit longer? It's been a nightmare trying to get him to rest." 

Cloud hesitated, obviously reluctant to leave his side, but eventually made a noise which she assumed meant he agreed. 

She escorted him downstairs, making sure to go down the steps first in case he lost his balance and tumbled down. He took his time as he gripped the banister tightly, still unsteady on his feet, but managed not to fall down face first.

"So." She made her way over to the kitchen. "Is oatmeal okay?"

He watched her before nodding, sitting down at the table and stared at nothing in particular.

She hummed to herself as she started preparing breakfast, glancing over every so often to check on him. His attention had been drawn to a pot of flowers on one of the shelves. She wondered if he liked them. Perhaps when he was feeling better she would take him into the garden, or even the church. The doctor had mentioned having something to focus on would help with his recovery, and what better way to focus than with a bit of gardening?

Just as she had started to pour the oatmeal into the bowls, she could hear frantic movement above. "I knew he wouldn't be able to sleep through a meal." She laughed.

Zack descended the stairs a little quicker than was necessary, hair messy and eyes darting wildly around. He visibly relaxed once he noticed Cloud at the table. His scent which had spiked momentarily had started to return to normal.

"Hey, look at you up and about." He ruffled Cloud's hair affectionately which earned him a scowl in return. 

As soon as Aerith had placed the bowl in front of Zack he had wasted no time digging in. After helping himself generously to the sugar, He began wolfing down each spoonful as if he hadn't eaten in days. Cloud on the other hand took tiny unsure bites. Ignoring the condiments before him, seeming to prefer to keep his oatmeal plain.

"Your mom out?" Zack asked between mouthfuls. He tried to sound casual but she didn't miss the way his eyes darted around the room, as if her mother was about to suddenly jump out of nowhere and boo him.

"Yeah. She'll probably be out until this evening." 

Tensions were high ever since Aerith had brought the two men home with her. Elmyra had never been very fond of Zack in the first place. Mostly due to the fact he was a SOLDIER, rather than anything personal. Her main concern was that Zack would put her in danger just by being near. She kind of had a point when she really thought about it. Zack did tend to attract trouble, albeit unintentionally. Though personally she found that just made things more interesting. The fact that he was an alpha, around two unmated omegas was another reason. But even her mom couldn't turn away someone in need. So, even if it was reluctantly, she had allowed them to stay. 

She did get quite embarrassed when her mother had not so subtly placed some suppressants on her bedside table the next day. But if it was a condition of letting them stay then it was one she was happy to put up with.

"I was thinking of looking for work in the next few days." Zack suddenly announced.

"Hmmm." She frowned. "Don't you think you should rest up a bit more?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, I'm feeling much better. Besides, I won't take on any strenuous jobs just yet. Promise." He placed his hand over his heart and winked at her.

"I'll help too." Cloud said quietly. So quiet they had barely heard him.

Zack shook his head. "Not yet buddy. I need you to get better first."

Cloud started at Zack. Letting the words process.

"I can fight." He grumbled.

"I know. I know you can." He ran his hand through his hair clearly thinking. 

She turned to face Cloud. "Tell you what. For now, you can be my bodyguard. In exchange for all the delicious food I've cooked for you."

Cloud blinked slowly, looking at her with a slightly dazed look in his eyes. No doubt he was still having trouble concentrating. 

"Sounds good." Zack agreed. "I'll warn you though. She can be a handful." 

"Look who's talking." She shot back, sticking her tongue out, causing Zack to laugh heartily and Cloud to look between the two of them with a confused expression.

The rest of the meal was lively. Zack explaining all about his various plans. How he wanted to find a place for him and Cloud to live. How they were both going to become a mercenary duo and help the people of the slums with all their problems.

"Yeah, we'll be partners. Help keep each other out of trouble." Zack finished rather animatedly. 

"Partners?" Cloud whispered, his eyes drifted down to his bowl.

"Well, yeah. I told you we're in this together. With you by my side we'll be unstoppable."

After they had all finished, Zack had offered to clean up, leaving Aerith alone with Cloud at the table.

"Partners." He repeated to no-one in particular.

Aerith couldn't help but feel that the only part of the conversation Cloud had picked up on was the word partner, and his interpretation of partner was different from what Zack had meant. Judging by the way his face had a slight red tinge to it. 

Maybe she was reading too much into it. Maybe it was because of her desire to see them both happy together. She knew how Zack felt, but she would bet every last gil she had (which admittedly wasn't much) that Cloud had felt the same. Her intuition had told her so.

She definitely didn't miss the way Cloud stared at Zack while he washed the dishes, a longing in his eyes instead of his usual vacant look.

She would wait and see what would happen between them. Though she wasn't opposed to giving them a little shove in the right direction if needed. After all, what were friends for?

* * *

It had taken nearly a whole month but Zack was finally fighting fit again. Pleased that he could start taking on more strenuous jobs. Which was a huge relief, bigger jobs meant more money. Which also meant they could soon afford their own place. 

He already had a couple of places in mind.

It was probably best if they left sooner rather than later. Elmyra still hadn't warmed up to him much. She was polite towards him, but only spoke to him when she needed to, her tone becoming more terse when she did. 

At least she treated Cloud marginally better. 

As he slipped his feet into his heavy boots, he couldn't help but think back on recent events, and of Cloud's condition. While he was in SOLDIER, there had never been any omegas that had managed to join. Apart from being seen as a liability it was said their bodies were incompatible with the mako. Perhaps that was why Cloud had suffered with such severe mako poisoning? Though he wouldn't have put it past Hojo to have done something else to him. He was unnervingly interested when he had first discovered Cloud was a male omega. Downright giddy even.

Because of that they would never give up on Cloud. He himself might have a death sentence over his head, but a male omega was just far too valuable. The fact that they had been able to hide out for a whole month without anyone bothering them perturbed him somewhat. He had at least expected the Turks to know where they were by now. Heck, they probably already did. Provided they were still keeping watch over Aerith, there was no way they hadn't noticed them.

So why had no-one come after them yet?

Shaking his head as if to rid himself of such thoughts he instead focused on how much Cloud had improved the last couple of weeks. Ever since he had managed to get out of bed by himself he had gone from strength to strength. 

He still had his moments. Times when he would just zone out completely, times when he had trouble concentrating, and times when his memories became hazy. He suffered from headaches that he described as being like static, his sight becoming tinged with green. The doctor assured him it was all very normal, though the static and green vision were symptoms he had never heard of. 

Aerith had been amazing when it came to his recovery. She had already gone above and beyond just by giving them a place to stay while they got back on their feet. He was positive Cloud's improved condition was because of her. She had kept him busy, mostly by having him help tend her garden. A few times she took him into town and down to the church, for a change of scenery. It appeared to help, giving him something to focus on. 

"I want to go with you." 

He didn't even hear Cloud enter the room, being so caught up in his thoughts. "Not this time Cloud." He sighed, adjusting the iron bangle that had held the fire and healing materia he had earned from one of his previous jobs.

Cloud seemed displeased. "Why not? You said we'd start working together when I'm better." 

"I know." He admitted. "Listen. I need to train you. You pretty much went through the same procedure a SOLDIER does. But you haven't been trained as one. That new strength of yours, it can be dangerous if you don't know how to control it."

"When will you train me then?" 

Zack thought about it. "No reason we can't start tonight, if you're up to it. Doubt I'll be back late." 

Cloud seemed somewhat appeased by that. His stance became less antagonistic and more relaxed. 

He was glad. He didn't really fancy going out all day knowing Cloud was angry with him. Even if he was cute when he got all pouty.

Attaching his sword to his back he glanced over at the Buster sword that had been carefully propped up in the corner of the room. As soon as he had the gil to buy a new weapon he immediately started looking for a replacement. It didn't feel right using it. Not after the care it's previous owner had treated it with. If he so much as got a nick on it, he was positive Angeal's ghost would come back just to punish him.

"Take care of Aerith for me, kay?" He patted Cloud on the shoulder.

"Yeah." Cloud mumbled, refusing to meet his eyes. "Just watch yourself out there. Aerith will get mad if you get yourself hurt." 

_ So would I.  _ Went unsaid.

Cloud could be so sweet at times. Obviously worried himself but too embarrassed to outright say it.

Feeling even more determined he set off, ready for whatever the day had planned for him.

* * *

"Gil for your thoughts?"

Aerith's voice had brought him out of his reverie. He glanced up at her, all sweetness and smiles, hands clasped behind her back as she waited for his response.

"It's nothing really. Just bored."

"Aww. Is my company that bad?" She teased.

"It's not that." He said quickly. "I just want to be out there working as well." 

Aerith hummed to herself as she took a seat beside him on the pew. "He might be acting like a huge worrywort. But he means well."

Cloud groaned. "I know that. But he acts like I'm about to break any second."

Aerith didn't answer. Instead she regarded him thoughtfully.

"I swear he's acting like this because I'm an omega." He muttered bitterly.

Aerith shook her head. "I really don't think that's the reason. Do  _ you _ honestly think Zack is like that?"

He didn't. Not truly. He had plenty of experience of people looking down on him, back home and in Midgar. But Zack was one of the few people in his life who saw him for himself. Not as an omega, or some awkward weakling, just Cloud.

"Zack barely left your side when you were unconscious." Aerith admitted. "I think his biggest fear right now is you pushing yourself too hard and making yourself sick again."

Cloud looked her in the eyes. Such a bright shade of green they reminded him of a vibrant forest. The enchanted kind that had existed in the fairy tales his mother would read to him as a child every night before bed. 

He looked away before he became too distracted by them. Before the memories of times long gone started to ache.

"So just take it slow. Show Zack that you're going to be just fine. And if he's still being stubborn." She clenched her fist. "We'll both sort him out."

Cloud couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. As annoying as he found her boundless optimism at times, he couldn't deny she had a soothing presence about her.

He could see why Zack liked her so much.

As he thought about Zack and Aerith, he suddenly felt cold in the pit of his stomach. He remembered years ago how Zack would occasionally disappear during his free time, sometimes bringing flowers back with him. The smell of an omega lingering faintly. It was a floral scent similar to the flowers in this very church, with something distinctly earthy mixed in.

_ From a friend.  _ Zack had explained when asked about the flowers. Cloud had simply assumed he was dating the mysterious omega. He was notorious for being a flirt after all.

Now, sat next to Aerith, he couldn't help but notice her scent was the same one that had lingered on Zack all those years before. 

There didn't appear to be anything going on between them now. And just because Zack came back smelling of her didn't mean they were dating before. The smell had been faint after all. He had probably left his own scent on Zack, considering how much time they spent together.

It did truly seem like Zack and Aerith were just friends. For some reason he really hoped so. The thought of Zack being with someone concerned him.

_ If he finds someone, would he forget about me?  _

It was a selfish thought. One he was better off ignoring.

"Are you okay?" Aerith asked. Concern written over her features.

"Yeah, sorry." He didn't realise how tense his body had become. 

Aerith regarded him for a moment before suddenly clapping her hands together.

"Well I'm all finished here. I think it's time to head back for some lunch. Are you coming or are you going to continue to sit here and brood?" She teased.

"Let's just go." He grumbled.

She practically skipped away. He could only sigh as he started to follow her.

* * *

Block. Parry. Slash. Dodge. Slash.

Their movement was like a dance. Constantly flitting around each other, as their swords clanged noisily against each other.

Zack was impressed. He knew Cloud could fight, but he didn't expect he would be able to keep up just yet. He was able to mimic his own fighting style flawlessly and was mindful of his newfound strength. Knowing when to use it and when to hold back. If he didn't know any better he never would have assumed that Cloud had been in a coma until recently. 

Maybe he could start taking Cloud out on jobs with him after all. Just small ones at first, to be safe.

He nearly cried out in surprise as Cloud's blade narrowly missed him, feeling the force from the swing he was glad they had opted for training blades. Although the younger man had overcompensated his attack and left himself open. Taking advantage, Zack brought his blade down hard, the blow knocking Cloud's sword out of his hands, causing it to skid along the ground before coming to a stop.

Cloud gave an annoyed groan.

"Good going spike." He panted. "Ready to call it a day? It's getting pretty late now."

Cloud nodded, looking exhausted as he went to retrieve his sword. He then wordlessly followed Zack out of the clearing, shutting the gate behind them as they went.

"So I was thinking. Tomorrow we can start looking for places to stay."

Cloud looked surprised. "You have enough money already?"

Zack nodded proudly. "Took on some big jobs today. Couple of monster exterminations."

Cloud didn't say anything, though he did seem pleased. They continued their way to Aerith's home, a comfortable silence had settled between them.

Later that night, some time after he had fallen asleep, he awoke when he felt his bed shift and someone pressed themselves tightly against his side.

"Everything okay?" He murmured. He felt Cloud nod.

"Do you mind? I can't sleep." He whispered.

Zack wrapped his arm around Cloud. Guiding his head to rest in the crook of his neck.

"Course I don't mind." 

Laying together like this reminded him of all those nights travelling from one place to the next. Fear of getting caught constantly on his mind. How he would hold Cloud tightly every night, as if scared that if he let him go he would disappear.

Cloud's scent had a sour note to it. His body quivering slightly, his breathing quick. Something had made him distressed. A sudden thought occurred to him, and he started to rub the underside of his chin over the top of his head.

"You're scenting me." Cloud pointed out.

Zack started to pull away. "Sorry. I should have asked first. I just wanted to help calm you down."

"No." Cloud muttered. Sticking his head back under Zack's chin. "I don't mind."

With his permission he continued. The effect was almost instantaneous as Cloud had soon relaxed. His scent became pleasant once more.

"What's wrong?" He asked once Cloud's breathing became more even.

Cloud was silent for such a long time, Zack assumed he had fallen asleep.

"Nightmare." He whispered.

Oh. He could guess what it was about. Holding Cloud closer he began making soothing hand motions down his back.

"They're all really gone. Aren't they?" He mumbled. "Mom. Tifa and her dad. The old couple who ran the inn. Everyone."

He recalled the fire. The stench of smoke and blood. Of death. The bodies left everywhere, sprawled out and glassy eyed, like discarded dolls. He remembered that girl, Tifa. Bleeding out on the stairs, a deep slash across her torso. How Cloud had cradled her close, tears in his eyes.

He didn't know what to say. What could he say? Cloud had lost everything. And to add insult to injury he had been kept as a lab rat by the biggest sadist he had ever had the misfortune of knowing. Tortured underneath the ashes of his childhood home.

"You won't leave me either, will you?" Cloud sounded so broken and it made his heart ache.

"No, I won't." He almost regretted saying it. After all he had nearly died just outside of Midgar. Nearly left Cloud completely alone. He needed to make sure he was always there for Cloud. So that he would never have to go through this pain again. If that meant defying death itself, so be it.

Cloud seemed satisfied with his answer as he had settled back down and in mere minutes was snoring lightly.

He gently kissed the top of Cloud's head and let sleep claim him once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who left comments/kudos or even just took the time to read. It made my day.
> 
> Now that our boys have had a little downtime, I think a little bit of plot needs to be thrown their way. Don't you?


	3. Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Zack and Cloud try and figure out their relationship a new job opportunity comes up.

The house was little more than a shack. One big open space, and a tiny bathroom that was a squeeze even for one person. There was a noticeable draft coming in somewhere that he couldn't pinpoint. And the pipes rattled noisily whenever the water was turned on.

They managed to buy some second hand furniture. Quite cheaply too, considering it looked like it would have been old thirty years ago. Zack was almost scared to touch anything for fear of breaking it. A metal partition was set up to cut off part of the room, creating a makeshift bedroom. Since they only had room for one bed, he had offered to sleep on the sofa but Cloud told him he didn't mind sharing. He did wonder if it was a comfort thing. Almost as if the younger man wanted to confirm that Zack was still there, that he wasn't going to suddenly disappear on him.

The move itself had been easy. It wasn't like they had much to bring with them. Seeing how bare the place was, Aerith had decided that some flowers were desperately needed. He let her get on with it. Decorating wasn't his, or Cloud's strong point.

Once things had settled, Zack could really appreciate the place. Sure it wasn't great, and was likely to fall down on them at some point. But it was theirs. Somewhere that belonged to just the two of them. 

One day, shortly after the move, Zack went up to Cloud, looking as excited as a puppy.

"I Have something I want to give you. Think of it as a housewarming gift."

Cloud looked at him intrigued.

"Well, I was thinking, since you're well enough to start coming out on job's with me, you're gonna need a weapon of your own." He paused, letting his words sink in. Cloud seemed pleased at the thought.

"So." He continued, disappearing behind the metal partition and came back out holding his Buster sword. "I want you to have this."

Cloud regarded it for a moment, before shaking his head.

"I can't take this. I know how much it means to you."

"Which is why I want you to have it." 

He recalled the words Angeal spoke to him so long ago now. _You're more important than my sword. But only just._

"You're important to me Cloud. So if this sword helps keep you safe, then I want you to use it."

Use brings about wear and rust. But surely Angeal would understand. He had thought about it for a long time, but in the end decided If this sword represented their honour, then he wanted that honour to protect the things that were most important to him. And if Cloud had it then it would always be like he was protecting him. Even if for whatever reason he couldn't protect him in person.

Cloud tentatively took the sword. His arms sagged slightly from the weight, but he gripped it tightly in both hands, getting used to the feel of it.

"I'll take good care of it." He promised.

"I'm sure you will." He laughed, ruffling Clouds hair, which for once didn't earn him a dirty look.

* * *

The Chromogger swung it's heavy wrecking ball in his direction, he rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the blow but getting caught in the shockwaves as it slammed hard into the ground. 

He was thrown off balance, causing him to land awkwardly, pain spreading in his shoulder, he would have cursed loudly if he could.

The machine was giving them a lot more trouble than they thought it would. At first they had worked in tandem, chipping away at it with coordinated attacks and magic, until forced to split up when it started spewing a red fog around it. He didn't manage to get out of the way in time, the thick smog choking him, causing his throat to burn. He realised with dread that he had been silenced.

Annoyingly they didn't have any Echo Mist. In fact they didn't have many items at all. He made a mental note to go shopping after this. And not be so cocky in the future.

Suddenly a warm light enveloped his body. The pain in his shoulder lessened to a minor discomfort. It looked like Cloud had managed to avoid being silenced. He gave him a grateful thumbs up.

Cloud started prepping another magic spell, a blue light pulsing in his hand. He flung his arm forward, a bolt of lightning shot out, electricity humming in the air, causing the hairs on his arm to stand up. The spell hit its target, finally staggering the giant machine.

Zack saw his chance. Gripping his sword tightly, he summoned all of his strength, feeling it ripple beneath his skin as if he was about to burst. With a wordless cry he jumped in the air as he unleashed a barrage of slashes. As he swung his blade, each blow cut through the thick metal as if it was made of butter, sparks flying everywhere. The Chromogger started to tilt, unable to function anymore. He kicked out, using it as a springboard as he jumped backwards, out of it's way as it fell to the ground with a deafening crash.

"Phew! Nice job Spike." He cheered, finally able to speak again. Cloud didn't say anything, but he couldn't hide the small pleased grin that tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Examining their target, he noticed how his last attack had done quite a bit of damage. "I hope we didn't wreck it too much. I really don't want to have to hunt another one." He grimaced.

Cloud sheathed his sword and shrugged. "I'm sure the guy will manage."

Their client was a mechanic. A haggard looking man in his mid fifties who went by the name Hanson. He owned a small workshop on the outskirts of sector 5 and made a hobby of collecting scrap parts from the numerous rogue machines that wandered the slums, discarded by Shinra with little care as to who they would trouble. Once he heard a Chromogger was spotted nearby, he wasted no time in sending the two mercenaries out to take it down. No doubt he would get much use out of it's remains.

"Well, we should head back and check in." Cloud said.

"Sure. And hey, just wanna say. You've been working really hard lately." 

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "I'd be a pretty lousy mercenary if I didn't."

"Yeah, but you've been working _really_ hard. I definitely think you need a reward."

Cloud crossed his arms. "Money is reward enough. But what did you have in mind?"

"How about we go on a date?"

He meant it as a joke. Well not really, but he didn't think Cloud would take him seriously.

"Sure."

He didn't think he heard correctly. "Huh?"

Cloud looked away, a flash of something in his eyes. Disappointment?

"Oh. It's one of your jokes."

"No, no!" He frantically replied. "I just didn't expect you would-" He began to pace, running his hand through his hair frantically. "You really wanna go on a date with me?"

He had to be dreaming. Or mistaken. 

"Yeah." Cloud's face had turned a lovely shade of red. "Might be fun I guess."

Zack resisted the urge to cheer right there. It wouldn't do to start looking uncool now. He thought about where they would go. Wall Market was the entertainment district of the slums. He didn't really want to go there with Cloud though. He had never been personally but had heard plenty of stories. Most of them unsavoury at best, horrifying at worst. Not the best place for omegas. Or anyone really.

If they were willing to go topside, there was sector 8. Plenty to do there. Cinema's, restaurants, bars. If he remembered correctly, there was even an ice skating rink. That could be fun. It would be a pain getting up there without any identification however, and trying to sneak up without them seemed like an excellent way to get arrested.

"Awesome! Not sure where we'd go yet. When I think of somewhere I'll let you know."

He would have to ask around. Surely someone would know where they could get some IDs. He decided to start with asking Hanson once they had informed him the job was done.

* * *

"You want some fake IDs?" Hanson asked in that hoarse voice of his.

"Yeah. In case we ever wanna go up top. I assume they still have scanners on the trains and highways?"

"Sure do." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well no one round here will be able to help you. You should be able to get some in Wall Market. Can't say more than that. Not really my area of expertise y'know?"

It looked like a trip to Wall Market was inevitable. 

"Hold on a sec." Hanson said as they started to leave. "I might know someone else. A client of mine. Comes round every now and then to buy parts. Friendly lass. Fairly certain she dabbles in that kind of stuff. Not that you heard that from me." 

That sounded promising. Maybe.

"Well great. Where can we find her?"

"No idea. She doesn't talk much about herself and I don't ask. She placed an order for some parts not long ago, so she should be back in a few days."

If Hanson was recommending her, It had to be safer than finding some random shady character. At least it was worth a try. 

"Think you can put in a word for me when you see her next?" 

"Course. I'll give you a call."

Once they left the workshop and he turned to Cloud. "Wanna take the rest of the day off? We need to do a bit of shopping anyway."

Cloud shrugged, trying to act nonchalant, but he couldn't hide the shy look on his face. A slight red tinge to his cheeks, his eyes looking everywhere but at Zack's face. Why was he so adorable?

As they wandered into sector 5 proper, their attention was drawn to the square where a small crowd had gathered. Curious they went over to have a look. 

A man stood on a makeshift podium, waving a glass bottle around while shouting out enthusiastically. Zack couldn't help but notice how he looked like a stereotypical cartoon villain. Tall and lean with shifty looking eyes that were so dark they appeared black. Dark hair that was slicked back with copious amounts of hair gel, giving it a rather greasy look. He even had a thin moustache that curled up at the ends. He just knew he would twirl it between his fingers going "Mwahahaha!" The suit he wore was maroon, and looked like it had seen better days. The cuffs were frayed and there were noticeable stitches along the jacket. A black and white striped shirt rested underneath, the pattern almost hypnotic. Everything about the man screamed swindler.

"So if you want to spice up your love life, then I have just the potion for you" He held up a glass bottle which contained a thick pink liquid inside, It glimmered slightly in the light. "Lamia's Charm! Why not find your inner passion today? Endorsed by the one and only Don Corneo himself!"

The crowd looked remarkably unimpressed as he carried on about the wonders of the so-called love potion. Except for the odd one or two who looked somewhat hopeful.

"What's this then?" Cloud asked no one in particular.

A woman standing next to them turned around. "Guy claims that stuff he has is an aphrodisiac. Triggers omegas to go into heat. Even betas get affected apparently." Her tone implied just what she thought about it. Not much.

"That doesn't sound legal." Zack frowned, not liking the implications of such a drug. 

"Tell me about it." The woman agreed. "Heh. Probably just juice and monster piss anyway."

Now that was an image he didn't need. Cloud had already lost interest, same as most of the crowd, who started to disperse. The shifty looking man looked around frantically. He locked eyes on Cloud who had started to pass by. 

"Hey you! With the spiky blonde hair." He called out, making a beeline towards Cloud. "You're an omega right? Care to try? Might help you find the perfect mate."

"Not interested." He dismissed.

Zack stepped forward, standing next to Cloud and stared at the man who had suddenly become very nervous.

"Not your thing? Well I could offer you-"

"He's. Not. Interested." Zack growled. Crossing his arms and now full on glaring at the man.

The man backed off, hands in front of him in a submissive gesture. "I meant no offence, no offence at all. I'll just be on my way, good day to you both!" And with that he scarpered away. Grabbing a suitcase full of the potions and disappeared into the crowd. The sound of glass bottles clinking together soon faded amongst the sound of chatter.

"Zack. Your smell." Cloud warned.

He didn't realise he was releasing his pheromones. Usually he had better control than that. He didn't even know why he got so protective, the man was pushy sure, but not threatening. There was something he just didn't trust about him though. Like a snake that was waiting for the right moment to strike. He glanced around, several people were looking their way, alarmed.

"Sorry." He took a deep breath, waiting a minute until he had composed himself. He smiled at Cloud. "Hey, think we could have dinner out later? That place Aerith sometimes helps out at makes a great pasta dish. Y'know, the one with the chicken. Least I hope it's chicken." He suddenly realised the menu never specified what type of meat it was.

"Yeah, sure. Got to be better than your cooking."

"Hey! Least _I_ can make toast

without burning it. Unlike someone I know." He teased, causing Cloud to scoff and roll his eyes.

"Let's just go." He huffed.

* * *

Things had changed between him and Cloud. The younger man became more relaxed around him, his scent more pleasant. As if he was content. He also didn't miss the way he would stare at him when he thought he wasn't looking. He didn't mind, he liked staring at Cloud as well. 

Zack was pleased at how well their new life was going. They had a job, their own place. Cloud had pretty much returned to normal. Hadn't had an episode for over two weeks now. The only thing that had changed was that he still hadn't gone into heat. He didn't have a single one while they were on the run, Zack just assumed it was because of the mako. The doctor had pretty much confirmed it, saying it was likely his heats would return in time. 

They would just have to take one day at a time. See what would happen.

Just a few days after his talk with Hanson, as he stood outside the store that sold materia, contemplating what to buy, he was approached by a pretty young woman.

"So you're the guy who wants a fake ID, right?"

She had a spirited look in her eyes, which were currently inspecting him, obviously liking what she saw. Her posture was full of confidence, hands on her hips and head tilted to one side playfully. She seemed like the type that didn't get fazed by much.

"That's me. I take it you're the person Hanson mentioned."

"Call me Jessie." She got closer, only mere inches away. He had to step back slightly just so he could have a bit of breathing space. "I reckon I can help you. But tell me. Why do you want a fake ID?"

"I can't use my old one. Not that I have it anymore anyway. And since you can't use the train or any of the highways without one, it makes things just a little inconvenient." He rubbed his hand through his hair. "And I want to be able to take my boyfriend somewhere nice topside."

"Oh?" She was suddenly very interested.

"Well he's not actually my boyfriend." He quickly corrected himself. "Haven't even gone out on a date yet. Not officially anyway."

"Oh young love." Jessie crooned. She hummed as she tapped her finger against her cheek thoughtfully. "I can help, sure." She shot him a mischievous smile. "But it won't be cheap." 

He had expected as much. "Name your price." 

"I was thinking more a favour for a favour. You're a SOLDIER right? Or used to be anyway? I can tell by those pretty eyes of yours. Plus you and that partner of yours are kinda the talk round here. The talented mercenaries who've made life just a bit easier for the folks round here." 

He gave her one of his prize winning smiles. "Well we are pretty amazing. And good looking. That would be the subject of gossip I guess."

Jessie laughed joyfully. "Oh I like you. I think you'll do nicely. We have a job coming up, a really big one. Like huge." She emphasised huge by stretching her arms wide. "And I'd feel better having someone along with your expertise."

"What's the job?" 

She wagged her finger at him playfully. "Ah ah ah. That's a need to know basis I'm afraid. I'll need to run it by my team first, but if you're interested come by 7th Heaven in sector 7 tomorrow. Even if you can't help out with this particular job, I'm sure we can work something out in exchange for the IDs."

7th heaven, the name sounded familiar somehow. He wondered what this mysterious job was, unsure about the vagueness of it all. But Jessie seemed nice enough, and Hansom did recommend her. Besides, if he could get a hold of IDs for Cloud and himself then it would make things so much easier. 

Jessie was watching him expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"We'll both be there." He told her.

* * *

  
  


Cloud was awoken by a bright light shining in his face. Typical, a huge metal plate above them and closed curtains, and yet the sunlight still managed to hit him.

Today they were to head to sector 7. A good opportunity to gain some new job prospects. It wasn't that their work was exactly drying up in sector 5. But there were only so many problems people could have at once. Even in the slums. Nowadays most of their jobs consisted of mundane tasks anyone could do. And if he had to help one more person locate their missing keys he would rip out his hair in frustration.

He heard Zack groan as he started to wake up as well. In his half asleep state he rolled over and draped himself over his body, effectively trapping him.

"Mmmm." He mumbled sleepily. "Morning Cloud."

"You're squishing me." He sighed.

Zack started to move, as he did Cloud could feel something move against his thigh. Something hard.

As his brain worked out just what exactly brushed against him, Zack had also realised it seemed. Now the man was fully awake, his face showing alarm.

"S-sorry!" He yelped. Practically jumping off the bed and twisting around to hide his morning wood.

"Don't worry about it." He said quietly. Turning away as well so he couldn't see Zack. He could feel his face burning.

"I'm going to have a shower." Zack announced. Rushing into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. Seconds later he heard the groaning of the pipes and the rush of water as the shower was turned on.

Wanting something to do he made their bed. But even while he tried to keep busy, images of that huge bulge refused to leave his head. 

He wondered what it would be like to see what was hidden by thin cloth. Peeling the fabric back slowly until he was fully exposed. He imagined what it would feel like to hold in his hand. Would he even be able to fit it inside him? It looked pretty thick. Long too. It would definitely fill him up till he was fit to burst. His knot locking them together until they were both completely spent.

He was startled slightly when he realised the shower had been turned off. Feeling a throbbing sensation between his legs, he glanced down. Well, it looked like he was also in need of a cold shower.

* * *

Zack wondered if maybe taking the Chocobo carriage was the best idea. Cloud's face had turned a ghastly shade of green, which had only gotten worse over time as the carriage bounced wildly down the bumpy pathways. Each jolt caused the omega to groan pitifully.

"Do we need to stop?" Zack asked kindly. Cloud shook his head. 

He had forgotten how badly he suffered from motion sickness. They were definitely going to have to walk back afterwards.

After some time the carriage slowed to a halt. Cloud wasted no time in jumping out, wandering off to the side of the path and bent over forwards. Taking long breaths to avoid retching.

"You ok there?" He rubbed his back soothingly.

"I'll be fine. Just give me a minute."

Zack waited patiently until Cloud stood back up, his normal colour had returned, even if it was still a bit washed out.

7th Heaven wasn't very hard to find. The place had a cozy look to it, certainly somewhere that people could hang out and forget about their troubles, even if for only a moment. None of the lights were on, most likely still closed. Made sense since it wasn't even noon yet.

As they entered the bar they were immediately greeted by Jessie who waved them over to the table she was sat at. She wasn't alone. Three other people were seated with her. 

A larger but friendly looking young man waved at them cheerfully. The unshaven man sat next to him didn't react much, but Zack could see the way he watched them both appraisingly.

The biggest of the four however looked downright hostile. A dark skinned man who even while sitting down, it was obvious how huge he was. A literal mountain of muscles. Although he wore sunglasses it did little to hide the obvious glare he was shooting their way. Zack soon realised the man was an alpha, the smell of leather and something woody radiated off of him. Something else was mixed in as well. Gunpowder? His scent had taken on a slightly sour note. No doubt reacting to a perceived threat. It seemed like the guy didn't think much of strangers.

"You made it!" Jessie said cheerfully, motioning for them to come and sit down. "Oooh, and your friend's just as cute."

Cloud ignored the comment. His eyes not leaving the large alpha before him.

"Let me introduce you. These guys are Biggs and Wedge. The big teddy bear there is Barret. Guess you could say he's our boss."

A teddy bear was the last word Zack would have used to describe the man before him. A mountain bear perhaps.

"These the two SOLDIERS you want to help?" Barret's voice was low and gruff. The way he said SOLDIERS was like it was a particularly dirty word. He guessed that was the source of his antagonism.

"Ex-SOLDIERS." Cloud corrected. Zack couldn't help but frown. Was Cloud claiming he used to be in SOLDIER as well? Were his memories acting up again? Or maybe it was just easier to pretend. People were gonna assume he was one thanks to the eyes anyway. He bit his tongue, not wanting to bring it up in front of a bunch of strangers.

"Right." The alpha said sarcastically. "Cause y'see, I was under the impression that SOLDIERS were loyal little doggies." He leaned forward, placing his arms on the table. Or that was what Zack was expecting. Instead of a right arm, he was staring at an arm mounted machine gun.

Just when he thought he had seen it all.

"I think they're legit Barret." Jessie interrupted. "They've been helping the folks over in sector 5 as mercenaries. Nothing but good reviews too."

Barret still didn't look convinced. "Why did you leave Shinra?"

"That's personal." Cloud snapped back.

"Let's just say." Zack quickly added. "That we left over a difference in morals."

Barret's expression softened somewhat at that. Though his body still remained tense. "Really?"

"Y'know. I have heard about them." Biggs interjected. "They've helped out the kids at the Leaf House. For free too." 

"See? They're both kind; handsome and skilled. Just what we need." Jessie pointed out.

"We don't need help." Barret growled. "Especially from a couple Shinra lackeys."

"If you haven't got a job for us, then we're leaving." Cloud announced, standing up abruptly.

Jessie started bickering with Barret, Biggs tried in vain to diffuse the situation while Wedge looked between both groups frantically. Zack went to follow Cloud who had started to walk away.

"Hold on, we should hear them out first, don't you think?"

Cloud shook his head, annoyed. "It's obvious that guy doesn't want us around, and I'd rather not waste time listening to them arguing like children. Let's look for work elsewhere."

As everyone was bickering amongst themselves, they barely noticed the doors swing open and a young girl in a pink dress ran in shouting. "Daddy! I'm home!"

Barret immediately stopped arguing with Jessie. "Welcome back sweetheart." He gushed, scooping the little girl up. It was like a switch had been flipped and he became a completely different person. Hard-ass one second, loving father the next.

The little girl started babbling on about what she had been doing. Oblivious to the tension in the room. Barret nodded along attentively, as if each word was the most interesting thing he had ever heard.

"Well we had fun at the-" Another voice joined in. A young woman had entered as well, stopping dead in her tracks when she noticed the two of them standing near the entrance. Seconds later her eyes widened with recognition.

He knew who she was. The girl from Nibelheim. The one who he had assumed became another casualty. 

"Tifa?" Cloud gasped.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thank you for all the comments and kudos. They really inspire me to continue.


	4. An old friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for blood/gore and creepy Hojo.

**_Research Report C Project_ **

**_O3 Month 14 Day_ **

**_Subject A Former member of SOLDIER/male alpha_ **

**_No effect could be detected from either Mako Radiation Therapy or Jenova._ **

**_Subject B Regular cadet/male omega_ **

**_Reaction to Jenova detected._ **

**_Possible fertility problems due to prolonged use of company issued suppressants._ **

With a noise of disgust, Hojo threw the report across the table. 

He had warned them this could happen. How long term reliance on suppressants could lead to fertility problems, and in extreme cases infertility. But why should they listen to him? He was only head of the Research and Development division.

It was a shame when others were incapable of using more than two brain cells.

In recent years the birth rates of alpha and omegas had dropped significantly. One hundred years ago betas only made up twenty percent of the world's population, Fifty years ago it was thirty percent. Now it was forty five percent. 

No one knew the cause. It was common knowledge that the Ancients themselves were all either omegas or alphas, so the most popular theory was that humans were descended from the Ancients. An off branch who had given up their ties to the planet, and eventually would completely lose any unique traits that their ancestors had. As of yet there was no evidence to suggest otherwise.

If nothing was done then eventually every human would be born as betas. He couldn't let that happen. As a scientist, It was his duty to preserve such a superior breed.

He had been ecstatic when he first discovered a fertile male omega, they were so rare nowadays. A recent addition to the military ranks no less. Why, it was as if a gift had nicely wrapped itself, just for him. If he believed in nonsense such as fate he would have thought that this was it.

Alas, despite his attempts, the boy eluded his grasp. He was positive he was being protected. SOLDIER Zack Fair had obviously taken a shine to the omega. No doubt he made sure nothing untoward happened. He couldn't have protected him alone however. He noticed how Sephiroth himself was sometimes seen around the omega. Not as often as Fair, but often enough. It was… interesting. Maybe if he could find a way to get the boy off of his suppressants, he could let nature take its course. He was loath to leave things to chance but sometimes a more delicate hand was needed.

But then those plans were thrown out the window when Sephiroth had lost his mind and burned that backwards village to the ground. It stung to lose such a superior specimen, especially since he didn't manage to gain any samples from him. The man was infuriatingly stubborn, constantly refusing.

Still, maybe all wasn't lost. He had the omega in his grasp at last, and plenty of subjects to test his reunion theory. Perhaps this omega could birth the start of a new race. The power of the Ancients and the power of Jenova combined. Oh, the thought made him positively euphoric.

Of course, that was considering the suppressants hadn't rendered him infertile. 

He would have to begin fertility treatment right away. After all, science waits for no one.

* * *

The silence in the bar was deafening.

"Cloud? That is you right?" Tifa whispered.

Cloud nodded. His body shook slightly.

Everyone stood still, anticipating what was going to happen next. Tifa suddenly let out a sound that was a cross between sobbing and a laugh. She flung her arms around Cloud, squeezing him, while he just stood there stunned. 

"I tried looking for you." Her voice trembled. "When I first got here. But no-one could tell me anything. It was like you had just disappeared."

Barret looked between the two. "You know him Tifa?"

Tifa nodded. Finally releasing Cloud and wiping her eyes.

"He's an old friend. We were neighbours actually." She sniffed. "But wow, your eyes. So you made it into SOLDIER after all? I'm glad." She finished with a conflicting smile.

"Thanks." Cloud replied. His body language remained stiff, but he suddenly seemed more confident.

Tifa turned to Zack, her expression became somewhat cooler.

"Zack Fair. It's been quite a long time." Although the tone was polite, he didn't miss how her mouth formed a tight line. A slight wariness in her eyes.

"Hi." He greeted awkwardly. The last time they spoke she had declared her hatred for anything related to Shinra. It looked like her feelings hadn't changed much.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, the two of us are working as mercenaries now. We actually came here because of a job." He motioned towards Jessie who smiled somewhat nervously.

"So neither of you are with Shinra anymore?" 

"No. Just mercenaries." Cloud pointed out.

Tifa visibly relaxed. Turning to Cloud, her smile warm. She gestured to one of the tables. "Can you stay awhile? I'd love to catch up. How long has it been now?"

"Five years." Cloud answered.

"Hmmm?" Tifa looked confused.

"Daddy, what's going on?" The little girl sitting on Barret's shoulder asked.

"Nothing sweetie. The grown ups need to talk for a bit. Can you go play in your room till lunch?" Barret put her down gently.

"Ok!" She said cheerfully.

"That's my good girl." 

Everyone watched the little girl run towards a door at the back of the bar. She waved to everyone before shutting it behind her. They waited until they heard footsteps going up the stairs before anyone said anything.

"So." Tifa said. "Please have a seat. Do you need anything? A drink maybe? Or if you're hungry, I can quickly whip up something?"

"I'm fine." He answered dismissively, taking a seat opposite Tifa.

"So, tell me. What have you been up to?"

Barret opened his mouth to say something but Biggs grabbed his arm. "Come on man. Let's leave them to catch up a bit." 

Barret grumbled a bit, but reluctantly let himself get led away. 

Jessie giggled as she walked by Zack, tapping him on the shoulder lightly. "Come on then handsome. No one likes a third wheel."

He took a quick glance at Cloud, who gave him a reassuring nod. He gave him an encouraging smile in return before following the others out of the bar. 

Outside Barret paced about, muttering to himself. When he saw Zack approaching he marched up to him, poking him in the chest with more force than was necessary.

"If you're gonna hang around, you might as well make yourself useful." He growled.

He didn't like the sound of that.

* * *

"So." Tifa began. Placing a glass of water in front of him. "What have you been up to all these years?"

"Not much. Zack helped me out through some…. trouble. Then we decided to work together."

"So you guys are close then?"

"Yeah. We've been friends for a long time. Since our days in Shinra. He's..." He fidgeted nervously in his seat. "... really important to me." 

Tifa wrung her hands together. Clearly not wanting to ask the next question.

"Do you…. know about home?" She asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Cloud grimaced. "Yeah. I know." He didn't want to have this conversation. He didn't want to remember.

"Zack was there." She told him. He couldn't help but notice her tone sounded accusing. 

"I know. I also know he didn't have anything to do with it." He answered slightly annoyed.

She looked somewhat ashamed. "You're right." She sighed, long and tired. "He didn't actually do anything wrong. It's not fair to blame him for what happened."

Neither said anything. The pain still too raw. Cloud decided to change the subject quickly.

"What have you been up to lately?"

"Oh, me?" Her eyes lit up. "Well I've been here for nearly five years now. It was pretty scary at first, but everyone around here looks out for one another. My landlady Marle helped me settle in. Barret looks out for me too. I know he seems quite, well, Intense. But he's a nice guy, really. Apart from running this place, I also help look after Marlene. The little girl from before. She's just the sweetest. She can be shy around strangers, but I'm sure you'll both get along great." The more she talked the more enthused she became.

"Sounds like you've been doing well." He was glad. 

"I have." She smiled at him softly. "This place keeps me busy at the very least. So tell me, what brings you round here? Zack said Jessie gave you a job?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. We need some fake IDs from Jessie. She wants us to do her a favour in return. Haven't heard what she wants yet."

Tifa frowned. "I think I might know what she has in mind. I can't say I approve though."

"Why?"

Tifa avoided his gaze. "It'll be dangerous."

He snorted. "I'm a mercenary. I deal with dangerous situations everyday."

"Yes." She still wouldn't look at him. "I'm sure you do."

Another silence passed between them. Cloud tried desperately to think of something to talk about. 

"So." Tifa finally looked at him again, her expression once again cheerful. "I take it you're staying in Midgar for now?"

He took a sip of his drink. "Yeah. Have a place in sector 5."

"Do you think you'll hang around here for a bit?" She sounded hopeful.

"If there's work, then sure."

"Oh, there is. People round here would really benefit having a mercenary around. Life is tough and Shinra doesn't bother to help." She thought for a moment. "My landlady has a spare apartment. If you want I could put in a word for you? Saves having to go back and forth between sector 5 all the time."

"It's not like it's that far. Besides, I don't see the point in paying rent when we already have somewhere." 

Tifa winced. "Y-yes. Of course."

He sighed. "I'll speak to Zack. See what he thinks. It depends on how much work we can find round here though."

Tifa looked ecstatic. "Great. I'm sure you'll love it round here."

There was a time when he would have done anything to have Tifa smile at him like that. It used to be all he wanted. Now? Nothing. His feelings weren't exactly gone. They just, changed. Now all he could think about was Zack, and how he wanted to see that big dumb smile of his instead.

Regardless of his new feelings, he still wanted to make Tifa happy. 

"I'm sure I will."

* * *

The last of the monsters fell easily before his sword. Cheers erupted from behind him. 

"That was awesome!" Wedge said enthusiastically, applauding Zack.

Jessie winked at him. "He certainly knows how to handle himself. I like that in a man." 

"Yeah. Don't think we were even needed." Wedge chuckled in response, but he seemed just a little dejected. 

Zack gave him a reassuring smile. "Always a good idea to have someone watch your back, just in case."

When Barret had all but forced him to volunteer himself to do a little clean up he had expected a few monsters here and there. The abandoned factory was absolutely teeming however. Despite the Watch's best attempts. 

"You can fight, I'll give you that." Barret begrudgingly admitted. 

"Are things really bad round here?"

Biggs nodded gravely. "Apart from the usual monsters prowling around, we've been getting some real freakish ones lately."

His interest peaked. "Freakish how?" 

"Well, they look like the usual monsters round here. But way bigger. And meaner." Wedge shuddered.

That was odd. Mutations due to the mako maybe? Or something else? No doubt it was Shinra's fault. Most things tended to be.

"There are rumours about a hidden lab underneath our feet." Jessie informed him.

The memories of the hidden lab in the Shinra mansion came to mind. "That wouldn't surprise me." He admitted.

"You know something?" Demanded Barret, coming close and glaring down at him.

"Well, I don't know about any underground labs here. I might have been in SOLDIER, but there was still a lot they still kept from me."

Biggs frowned. "But you  _ do  _ think these monsters are because of Shinra?" 

"Could be. They have a lot of dirty secrets."

Barret let out a noise that was a mix between laughter and disgust. "I knew they were up to no good. It's not enough to suck the life outta the planet for their own greed, they gotta create monsters too?"

He was certainly fired up. Just as he was continuing with his rant, an ear piercing screech filled the air, causing all of them to look around wildly.

"What was  _ that _ !?" Jessie gasped.

He drew his sword once again. "Not sure, but probably nothing good."

Cautiously they all headed towards the direction of the sound. It was close by, and probably inside one of the warehouses, judging by how the screech echoed. As they neared the far end of the factory they heard what sounded like flesh tearing. Zack motioned for the others to be quiet as he peered around the corner.

Up ahead, at the far end of the room, was one of Shinra's genetically altered hounds. This one however was bigger, and bulkier than any he had ever seen before. It was as if Shinra had decided to breed one of their attack dogs with a Behemoth. Which wouldn't surprise him if they did. A rancid smell assaulted his nostrils, almost making him gag in response.

The hound was eating a monster. He couldn't make out what it was, too much had been torn apart. It looked like it had wings at one point. The hound was so absorbed in it's meal it either didn't notice them, or didn't care.

"That one of the freakish monsters you mentioned?" He whispered.

Wedge was completely drained of all colour. "Never seen one  _ that _ big."

Barret clenched his fist. "It'll be bad if that thing gets into town." 

He agreed. It would probably stay in the area while it had plenty of prey, but if it ever ran out it might decide that people were a good meal instead. Taking a moment to access the situation he turned to the others.

"I'll attack while it's distracted." He pointed to every exit he could see. "If you guys could cover the exits, make sure it doesn't get past."

They nodded in agreement, except Barret who shook his head.

"I'll help you." His tone suggested there was no point in arguing. 

The trio began to sneak off. The dog however sensed them. Abandoning its meal, it started to slowly approach, it's teeth bared and ears forward. It's tail-like appendage on it's back stood up, like a serpent ready to strike. A thick drop of saliva fell to the ground as it growled aggressively. 

A loud bang drew its attention towards Wedge, who had managed to knock over a steel drum barrel. He gave a yelp as he fumbled for his gun. The creature turned towards him, head down, rear up, ready to strike. 

"Hey!" Zack yelled, trying to get it's attention. 

The hound turned, snarling at him. It leapt, but he was ready. The second it made contact, he knocked it back with his sword, cutting it deeply across it's torso and throwing it off balance.

The sound of rattling gunfire came from his left. The beast jerked as it was riddled with bullets. After Barret had finished unloading into the mutant mutt, it stood up and shook its body, as if it was merely inconvenienced. The bullet wounds already stitching themselves together.

"The hell!?" Cried out Barret.

"We just need to keep it up. Do more damage than it can keep up with." 

First of all they needed a way to keep it in one place.

It was hard however, the beast charged once more, this time it's target was Barret. The man cursed as he tried to shoot at it, but nothing happened, his machine gun still cooling down. Zack raced over, putting himself between Barret and the mutant hound, when he raised his sword to block the attack, it instead kicked out with it's muscular legs, this time knocking him down. Quick as a flash it was once again upon him, pinning him to the floor, teeth gnashing. The only thing that was preventing him from having his throat torn out was his sword, which was held up between them.

Barret hung back, gun now ready but unable to get a clear shot without hitting Zack.

"Screw this!" The large man yelled. With a cry he ran forward and swung his machine gun at the dog, hitting it squarely in the side of it's head. As the dog reeled back he grabbed hold of Zack's collar and lifted him up as if he was a rag doll.

"Thought you were a tough SOLDIER?" He snorted, sounding somewhat amused.

Zack could only laugh sheepishly. He inwardly cringed when he noticed this was the second time in the last couple of weeks he needed help. He had to up his game if he was to be a hero.

"Not dead yet, am I?" He turned back to the monster dog. "Can you keep it busy for a sec?"

"Do what you need to. Just hurry up!"

Barret unloaded another round of bullets in the beast while Zack started to summon an ice spell. He would need to use a stronger version, if his plan was to work.

He could feel the chill, it cut through the fabric of his gloves, settling deep within his bones. He unleashed the spell, the cold energy forming at the hounds feet. Thick shards of ice sprung up from the ground like deadly flowers. The air itself froze, trapping the beast's lower body within a thick block of ice. Almost immediately it tried to break free, cracks forming all over it's prison. He had to act quickly.

Lifting his sword over his head, he swung it down with all his might. With a sickening crack it struck the mutants neck. It wasn't enough, the wound already starting to close. It snarled viciously, snapping desperately at him. With another blow and then one more he finally cleaved it's head off. The body finally went slack, dropping to the ground as soon as the ice vanished.

"Bastard didn't wanna die." Barret spat.

"Well, I don't think it's gonna get back up again." He poked it with his toe. "Better burn it to make sure. " 

They heard movement, Biggs and Jessie came over to examine the corpse. Wedge hung back, looking a little green.

"Nice work you two." Biggs cheered, giving them a thumbs up.

"We gotta report this to Wymer." Barret said. "Get more patrols out. Make sure there's no more of these things roaming around.

He turned to Zack and slapped him on the shoulder, nearly bringing him to his knees. "Y'know, you might not be that bad after all. Still don't trust ya though."

Zack rubbed his shoulder. He was going to feel that one later. "Yeah thanks." He winced.

As they started to head back into town Barret pulled him to one side.

"Did you notice it's smell?" He asked quietly, looking somewhat disturbed.

"It smelled pretty rank, didn't it? But most monsters don't exactly smell great."

Barret gave him an incredulous look. "That ain't what I'm talking about. Thought you would notice of all people." When Zack looked at him blankly Barret shook his head, as if pitying him. "It smelt like an alpha."

"But, that doesn't make sense." Animals had a different scent to animals. There was no way one would smell like a human alpha. Unless….

"Sense or no sense, I know what I smelt." Barret's gaze was scrutinising.

He remembered the creatures in the pods. Horribly mutated beyond recognition. They were apparently once human. That dog didn't look vaguely humanoid, but it did smell somewhat human now that he thought about it.

Just what was Shinra playing with?

* * *

"Well, you've earned yourself a free lunch." 

A plate of eggs and chips was placed in front of him. Tifa smiled at him encouragingly. That was a good sign, he assumed she hated him still.

"Looks great." He began digging in. It was simple but tasty.

"We were lucky. If you weren't there I hate to think what might have happened." Biggs said, his face grim.

Cloud crossed his arms, not looking happy. "Do you get these new breeds often?"

Jessie shook her head. "Not really. Had one or two sightings I guess. Hope this doesn't become a regular occurrence. It's bad enough round here without demon dogs prowling around."

A tense silence fell. Before Zack looked over at Jessie.

"So what's this job you want us to do?" He asked, mouth full.

The others looked amongst each other. 

"We're gonna make a statement against Shinra." Barret informed them.

Oh. That probably wasn't good. 

"What kind of statement?" He asked hesitantly.

Barret grinned. "We're gonna blow up a reactor."

He resisted spitting out his food in surprise. "What?"

Barret began ranting about how the reactors were sucking up the lifeforce of the planet. How Shinra was the cause of all evil. Zack soon droned him out. How did he manage to get caught up in this? They had done so well avoiding Shinra. This was sure to put them back on their radars.

"Sounds like a big job. Not sure if a couple of fake IDs would be worth it." Cloud said.

"We can pay you as well. How does fifteen hundred gil sound?" Tifa interjected.

"Say what?" Barret turned to her. Mouth agape.

She went up to Barret, both whispered amongst themselves. They seemed to reach an agreement as he turned towards Zack and Cloud, looking conflicted.

"A'right. But that money's between the two of you." He turned his back to them and started grumbling furiously to himself.

Zack wasn't sure what to do. It was a decent amount of money. And they would get IDs. But it was too risky. Not to mention the potential for casualties. It just didn't seem right.

"Could you excuse us a moment?" He asked. The others nodded while he went outside with Cloud.

"What is it?" Cloud asked.

"This doesn't seem right." He admitted.

Cloud regarded him for a moment before raising an eyebrow. "It's a lot of money though."

"Yeah, but, aren't you worried innocent people will get hurt?"

Cloud's face remained passive. "There usually aren't civilians around the reactors. If the bomb's not that powerful, it should be fine."

Zack still felt uneasy. "What if Shinra spots us?"

Cloud winced at that. It seemed like he had forgotten about Shinra pursuing them.

"Well, we'd have to make sure they won't realise who we are."

It seemed like Cloud had his heart set on taking this job. Could it have been because of Tifa? He just wanted to help an old childhood friend out? He had to admit to himself, he was worried about the group. They seemed like good people whose hearts were in the right place. Even if their methods were extreme. And he was slightly worried that if left alone they would get caught, or worse.

Dammit. He just didn't know what to do.

"Tell you what. We'll hear them out more. Then we decide?" 

"Fine." Cloud agreed.

Heading back in he couldn't help but notice how everyone tried their best to look casual. It was all a bit performative.

"Ok." He announced. Everyone looked at him expectantly. "If we decide to take the job, we have some conditions."

* * *

  
  
"Want some?" Zack offered him some popcorn. He shook his head. 

They finally managed to go on their date. Thanks to the IDs Jessie made for them, they were able to get to sector 8 without any fuss. 

Zack had heard of a new movie that just came out.  _ Behemoth Warrior 6 _ . It would have been generous to call it B movie trash. The plot sounded absolutely stupid. So of course Zack wanted to see it.

Cloud turned to his date who was currently bouncing in his seat like a hyper child. He had never said anything, but he had a feeling he was more excited to just watch a movie, then care about what they were actually going to watch. Perhaps it was the desire to get a bit of normality back into their lives?

He remembered coming to this movie theatre before, with Zack and a few other friends. 

Chambers and Gilmoore. Fellow cadets who he got on rather well with. Perhaps because both were from the city and were used to all types of people, they were more accepting of an awkward loner like himself. 

Kunsel, Zack's friend from SOLDIER. Who always knew about the latest gossip before anyone else. With his penchant for finding out secrets it was a wonder he was never made to join the Turks instead.

He wondered where they all were now.

He felt Zack's hand on top of his, he turned to the other man but he was too busy watching the film. He interlocked his fingers with Zack's and he felt a reassuring squeeze in response.

The movie was as he expected. A total flop. Bad acting, awful effects, and whoever wrote the script must have either been drunk or did it for a dare.

"Aw man. I never thought a movie that featured a guy turning into a Behemoth to fight aliens, could suck so much." Zack whined as they left the theatre.

"I wasn't surprised." 

Zack was about to reply before he felt a drop of rain hit the top of his head, then another, then a sudden downpour descended upon them.

"Over here." Zack dragged him over to a coffee shop on the opposite side of the road, where they took cover under the awning outside.

"Where did that come from?" Zack laughed. Squeezing the water out of his hair. 

"The sky." He deadpanned.

Zack blinked before laughing heartily. For a few minutes they just stood in silence, watching the rain fall. Comfortable with each other's company. He Suddenly became aware how close Zack was when he felt him shift beside him. An arm was placed around his shoulders, drawing him in even closer. Without thinking he breathed in Zack's scent. Woody and earthy. So very natural. So very, him.

The realisation he was sniffing Zack eventually hit him and he pulled away abruptly.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

"I don't mind. I like your scent too." Zack grinned.

"That's." He spluttered, not knowing what to say. Zack always said embarrassing things like that out loud without hesitation. He wished he had that kind of confidence.

Zack drew closer once again. His fingers lightly caressing his cheek. As if on autopilot, he leaned into the touch.

"I'm glad you agreed to go out with me." Zack said softly, his face leaning in closer to Cloud's.

He could have pulled away, before things changed irrevocably between them. Instead he found himself leaning forward as well.

He had heard the phrase, like fireworks going off, and he realised it was a pretty apt description. The moment their lips touched it was as if miniature explosions went off in his body, the warmth spreading until his whole body felt hot. Yet despite that, he couldn't stop himself shivering.

He opened his mouth and Zack took the invitation, his tongue pressing inside. The feeling caused his whole body to tingle pleasantly. His mind stopped working, all he could focus on was the feeling of the kiss.

Needing something to do with his hands, he brought them up to the sides of Zack's head and wound his fingers through his hair. Zack let out an appreciative noise at that, the sound vibrating through his own self.

Second, minutes, or even days later they finally parted, both panting for breath.

"That was. Wow." Zack said breathlessly. His eyes positively glowing.

"That was my first kiss." He admitted nervously. 

Zack blinked in stunned confusion. "Woah. Really?" A look of pride swept over his face. "Well, here's hoping you get many more kisses." He kissed his forehead gently. "With me of course."

Cloud couldn't help but laugh. "I'll think about it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG nearly 100 kudos at the time I wrote this. I'm honestly so touched.


	5. A fateful encounter

Tifa flicked through the television channels absentmindedly. Not really intending to watch anything, just needing something to distract her.

By now, Cloud and the others should be inside the reactor. Hopefully everything was going smoothly.

It was overwhelming seeing Cloud again. When she had arrived in Midgar, and had recovered enough to move around again, the first thing she did was look for him. Though nothing came from her search. There was absolutely no record of Cloud. Any cadets she asked had no idea who she was talking about. As far as they were concerned, there were no omegas in service, and there had never been any.

So afterwards, she tried to search for any other survivors from Nibelheim, including the ones she had known were already living in Midgar. But once again she had no luck. 

She was well and truly alone.

She was glad she could rely on the kindness of strangers, otherwise she had no idea what she would have done. Marle had been a godsend. Giving her a place to stay, teaching her how to survive in the slums. She had even introduced her to the previous owner of Seventh Heaven, getting her a job there. 

It was hard adjusting to a new life. Luckily she made new friends in no time. Although the hurt never fully healed, she decided she was going to make the most of what she had. Despite this, her hatred of Shinra never left. It festered inside her, like an ember that refused to go out.

Then Barret arrived in sector 7 one day, carrying nothing but a handful of clothes and a baby no older than a year. She recognised the dead look in his eyes. The eyes of someone who had lost nearly everything. 

She soon learned that his hometown had been burned to the ground by Shinra. A story that was depressingly all too familiar. At first they bonded over their mutual hatred for the electrical company and it wasn't long before she came to regard Barret and Marlene as family. 

Jessie, Biggs and Wedge soon became part of their lives. Each one of them had a reason for wanting to get rid of Shinra. Each had a desire to make the world a better place. It was inevitable they would end up working together.

One day Barret declared he was starting his own branch of Avalanche. Tifa had heard about them. An extreme terrorist group who had caused Shinra much grief in the past, though they had become much more quiet in recent years. The others were eager to join, and at first Tifa did as well. Lately though she had felt herself hesitating. She truly wanted to make a difference, but she didn't want to involve innocent people in her fight. And none of this could ever end well.

When Barret came up with the plan to bomb a reactor Tifa had tried to talk him out of it. Unfortunately once he set his mind on something, that was it. In the end she decided to go with it. After all, if the reactors weren't around, the planet would last a bit longer.

That made it worth it. Right?

"When is daddy coming home?"

Marlene poked her head around the door behind the bar. Looking at Tifa with those wide expressive eyes of hers.

Muting the television she turned to the little girl.

"I'm not sure. It'll probably be quite late though."

"Can I stay up? Just a little longer?" She pleaded. And since Tifa could never say no to her she placed the girl on a stool, pouring her a glass of milk.

"Daddy has important work to do." She announced proudly after taking a sip, a milk moustache forming above her lip.

Tifa nodded in agreement, handing her a cloth to wipe her mouth with. "That's right. He does."

"Are those two new men going with him?" 

"Zack and Cloud? Yes, they are."

Marlene looked Tifa straight in the eyes. "I like Zack. He's nice." She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "The man with the chocobo hair is scary though."

Tifa couldn't help but laugh, wondering how Cloud would react to his hair being likened to a chocobo. 

"He can be a bit mean looking right? But guess what?" She leant on the bar, leaning close to Marlene as if she were about to share a secret. "He used to live next door to me when we were children."

Marlene's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yep. And he's always been the same. But I know that he's actually a really nice guy. He just has trouble getting along with others sometimes."

She could see Marlene processing the information. "So he's shy?"

"In a way, yes."

Marlene nodded in understanding. "Betty looks after me when I get shy. Do you help him then Tifa?"

"W-well. I try to."

When Cloud was younger, he was even more quiet than he was now. She tried to include him as often as she could, but he never wanted to join in. Looking back now, she realised that he simply had trouble opening up to other people. She had just assumed he didn't like her, or the other children.

His reserved nature eventually led to him being excluded more often. And she knew some of the kids would make fun of him. The fact he didn't have a father, or the fact he was an omega were the most common insults. She tried to stop it, telling the bullies off if she heard them say anything, trying to tell others that Cloud didn't deserve any of it. She had the feeling stuff still happened behind her back regardless. Even her own father had told her to stay away from him. She never understood why he had such a hatred for their neighbours, as he would refuse to continue the conversation when she tried to find out.

When Cloud had asked her to meet him at the watertower one day, she was happy. He told her his plans to join SOLDIER, to become a hero. She didn't know why she did it, but she made him promise to one day rescue her if she was in trouble. A part of her did want to be rescued like the princesses in her old stories. Looking back now she realised that she didn't want a hero to save her. Just Cloud.

It was disappointing when she found out that Cloud and Zack were a couple. She would even go so far to say she was a little jealous. But if he was happy, then she was happy. Besides, if Cloud was to end up with anyone, at least it was with someone like Zack. He needed someone like the spirited alpha. His polar opposite in many ways, but someone who could understand him in a way no one else could.

Or perhaps that was just the bond between an alpha and omega. A special connection that bound two souls together. Or so people said.

Just then an emergency news bulletin flashed on the screen. Scrambling for the remote, Tifa turned the volume back on.

_ " _ **This is an emergency broadcast from the Shinra Emergency Operations Centre. A disaster warning has been put in place for sectors 1 and 8 after an attack was carried out on Mako Reactor 1. Multiple explosions have been confirmed as well as ongoing fires. Please stay tuned for more information."**

"What happened?" Marlene asked.

She smiled reassuringly at her. "There was an accident up on the plate. But don't worry. We'll be safe down here."

Marlene didn't look satisfied with that response. "What about daddy? Was he there?"

"No." The lie came easily. "In fact. He should be back soon. Shall we wait for him outside?"

Marlene nodded before jumping off her stool and heading outside. Tifa turned the sign in the window to closed and sat next to Marlene on the steps. It was a quiet night anyway, so it wasn't like she would lose much business.

She wrapped an arm around Marlene's shoulders as the girl stared at the path leading from the train station. 

She hoped that Cloud and the others were okay.

* * *

The sky was bleeding red. The air filled with smoke; sirens and screams.

The members of Avalanche watched in horror at the devastation before them. Barret looked on, face barely moving a muscle.

"We did this, didn't we." Biggs' voice trembled. The others looked away, not wanting to acknowledge the truth.

Zack was furious. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Their fight was with Shinra, not the people. This was exactly what he was afraid would happen. Cloud's eyes were narrowed, his body tense, but otherwise he appeared rather composed.

"What's done is done." He said curtly. Zack shot him a look of disbelief, before schooling his expression into one of calm acceptance. He had a point. Regardless of their intentions, they had inadvertently got innocents involved. They had to own up to that.  _ He _ had to own up to that. He went along with the plan despite his misgivings. He wasn't innocent in all this.

"Merc's right. It ain't pretty, but we can't stop now. This was just the first reactor. And the planet won't be safe till we get the rest." Barret said. 

The others didn't look too convinced, but accepted his words nonetheless. 

"Listen up. We need to get our asses outta here. Split up and get on the last train home. Got it?"

With that dismissal, everyone headed off in different directions. Cloud looked like he wanted to say something, but Zack placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head before gently leading him away. It was probably for the best. He had a feeling what he wanted to say, and it wasn't like Barret had their money on him at the moment anyway. They would just have to wait.

The sector was in worse condition than they initially thought. Buildings collapsed or on fire. Some were both. People huddled in the middle of the streets, panicked. Children crying while their parents tried in vain to comfort them. There were a few security guards around trying to maintain some semblance of calm. They were easy to avoid, being too busy to even notice two people in a crowd of hundreds.

Despite having to take some detours, through alleyways and over rooftops, climbing over rubble, they finally reached the train station with just enough time to spare. Seeing everyone else gathered outside the entrance he rushed forward.

"Glad you could make it." Jessie greeted him.

Barret looked over Zack's head and scowled. "Tell him to move that spiky ass of his. We ain't got all night."

Confused, Zack looked back. Cloud was quite far behind, still near the corner of the street. He had assumed he was right behind him. As he stepped forward to go and get him, he heard a loud cracking noise from above. Someone shouted  _ look out! _ as the expressway above collapsed. Debris and dust flew everywhere, causing Zack to shield his face.

"Cloud!" He panicked. Racing forward he began frantically pulling at the rubble. This wasn't happening, he couldn't get separated from Cloud, not now.

"You're never gonna move that." Wedge grabbed his elbow. His brow furrowed with concern.

Shaking him off he began to run in the opposite direction.

"Where you going!? The trains gonna leave soon!" Barrett called after him. But he didn't reply, his only concern was about finding Cloud.

_ Hold on Cloud. I'm coming. _

* * *

Cloud coughed violently as the dust swept over him.

Once it settled he realised his path was gone. Buried underneath the rubble. He needed to find a way around quickly, before the last train left.

He heard the roaring of fire nearby. The building to his right now fully ablaze. He watched mesmerized as the flames fiercely danced. He winced as static invaded his vision for a brief moment. The more he looked at the building, the more it was starting to resemble the buildings from Nibelheim.

It must have been the smoke and the mako in the air messing with him. He needed to get away.

As he spun around he nearly bumped into someone. As he went to apologise his voice got caught in his throat, a strained cry came out instead.

Long hair flowing like a silver waterfall. Green slit eyes that unnaturally glowed. A beautiful visage that contrasted wildly with the monster underneath. The demon in disguise smiled down at him as if he had finally received a gift he had longed for.

"Sephiroth?" He whimpered.

The man didn't answer, he simply turned around, silently beckoning him to follow. As if being compelled to obey, Cloud trudged forward. Green and static assaulting his vision. He could feel a chill running through his veins as time appeared to slow down around him.

He was led to a narrow alley. His mind screaming that it was a trap, but his body ignored all warnings. A desperate urge to reach the man of his nightmares.

Up ahead, in all his terrible, captivating glory, stood Sephiroth. The flames created a sinister aura around him. As if he had just stepped out of hell itself. A triumphant smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth, making him look like a predator who had cornered it's prey.

"This isn't real. You're dead." He spat out.

"Oh?" The older man drawled, as if that was news to him. 

"No, you're….dead. I know you are." He gasped, suddenly unsure. "Why are you here now?" He gripped his head as if in pain. Something felt like it was trying to worm itself into his brain.

"Why, I've come to claim what is mine." As Cloud shot him a confused look, Sephiroth’s voice suddenly took on a dangerous edge. "I've been watching you, Cloud. I've seen how close you've become with our dear Zack." 

Cloud couldn't stop the whimper from escaping. 

"That will not do. You need to leave him. Haven't you caused him enough trouble? Don't you think that he's had enough?" He continued, eyes narrowing dangerously. 

No. That wasn't true. Zack wasn't fed up. He looked after him because he cared. Just as he would do if the situations were reversed. 

"Your weakness will only ever be a burden. To yourself and to others. So, shall I step in and rectify your mistake for you?"

Cloud didn't miss the obvious threat there. With an enraged cry he drew his sword, rushing forward he brought it down hard. Just as it was about to connect with his hated enemy's head, the man suddenly disappeared. The flames went with him, as if neither were ever really there.

Confused he glanced around, before he heard, no felt, the words in his mind.

" _Don't take too long to decide, Cloud_." 

Panting, he sheathed his sword. Taking a moment to compose himself.

"It wasn't real. Just fumes from the mako messing with my head." He told himself.

Not wanting to stay in the alley any longer, he began making his way to the main street. There were several blockades placed, but they were easy to avoid, especially with the crowds of people standing about in the streets. The unnatural chill that had settled inside him still lingered, but he ignored it. It was just nerves after all.

As he rounded the corner he noticed a familiar sight before him. It was the coffee shop where he and Zack had their first kiss just a couple of nights ago. He was relieved to see it was undamaged.

Cloud traced his fingers over his lips, as if he could still feel the lingering traces of the kiss. Even now, it felt like it had simply been a dream.

"Hey! You there!"

He froze as a voice shouted out. Coming towards him were two Shinra guards, guns not yet pointing at him, but their stances indicated they were ready to fight at a moments notice.

"What is it?" He tried to sound casual. Hopefully they were just going to tell him not to loiter.

"You need to come with us." The one on the right demanded.

Without a word he rushed forward, taking down one of the guards with ease. The other one cried out in fury and opened fire on him. Using his sword to deflect the bullets he waited until he saw an opening and quickly knocked the other guard out as well.

There were a few shouts of alarm from some nearby onlookers. 

_ Well, so much for sneaking away. _

Without wasting anymore time he ran.

He didn't get very far before he heard a helicopter above, it's bright spotlight following his movements. A voice echoed all around him, demanding his immediate surrender. He kept running, several Shinra troops came for him, but none could match him.

Before long, he reached a bridge overlooking the train tracks. He heard the sound of screeching tires up ahead. A military vehicle raced around the corner, skidding to a halt before him. About five security guards jumped out, guns ready. He could hear the same happening behind him.

He was boxed in.

"I don't have time for this!" He growled, jumping forward and swinging his sword in a large arc, taking down several guards in one ferocious blow.

The real fight began when an armoured trooper stepped forward, wielding a shield that was taller than he was. His sword wasn't going to be much use against it, so he started to prepare a lightning spell. As he was concentrating he didn't hear footsteps approaching until it was too late.

Pain exploded in the back of his legs, as he was struck with a baton. Falling to his knees the spell fizzled away to nothing.

"Quick! Apprehend him!" Someone barked orders.

He gripped his sword and started to stand up, but another blow came, this time hitting him on the back of his head, causing him to fall forward gracelessly, face hitting the ground as the world spun before him.

He cursed as he felt footsteps surround him, looking up he saw the guard with the oversized shield sneering down at him.

Just then, a flash of movement came from above. The shield guard made a gurgling noise, before falling. The rest of the troopers who had him surrounded soon fell as well.

"Not the best place for a nap." Zack teased, offering him his hand.

Cloud took it, getting to his feet. The pain in his head still throbbed but he quickly regained his bearings.

Several more guards ran forward, guns pointed at the two mercenaries. The sound of a train whistle could be heard over their shouts.

"Looks like our trains here. Ready?" Zack grinned.

Cloud nodded in understanding. As the train approached, Zack grabbed his hand, pulling him along. Leaping up on the side of the bridge, they jumped off, hearing the surprised cry of their would be captors behind them.

They both landed with a thud of the roof of the train, Cloud nearly fell off, but Zack tightened his grip, pulling him closer.

Deciding that it probably wasn't a good idea to stay on the top of a moving train, they crawled their way along, stopping when they were above the freight carriage. That was where Barret and the others should be. 

Hopefully things went more smoothly for them then it did for him.

Leaning precariously over the edge, Cloud hammered his fist against the side of the carriage. Hoping that Barret and the others were inside.

The doors slid open and they both jumped inside. Cloud landed gracefully while Zack collapsed awkwardly in a heap, groaning as he massaged his back.

They heard the surprised gasps of Barret and the others.

"You both had me worried for a minute." Barret breathed, once he noticed the looks everyone was giving him his face hardened. "What the hell you both been up to? Huh!?" He exploded.

Zack winced at his sudden outburst, but the corners of Cloud's mouth turned up in amusement.

"Worried about us?"

Barret sputtered. "Wha-!? That's coming outta your share hotshot!"

He stomped off, turning back to them one last time. "We're movin' out! Follow me!"

The carriage was absolutely packed. A sense of dread and uncertainty hung in the air. The people gave them a wide berth, eyeing them warily as they made their way through the crowds. 

Slumping down on a nearby seat, Zack let out a sigh of relief.

"Well. No one can say that the mercenary life is boring."

Cloud said nothing. Just sat down next to him, resting his head on the back of the seat.

The rest of the journey was thankfully uneventful. Except for when Barret almost started a fight with some Shinra employees.

Sector 7 was still busy, despite the late hour. People were hanging around, gossiping about the bombing.

Outside of Seventh Heaven sat Tifa and Marlene. The little girl looked like she was desperately fighting to stay awake. The second she noticed Barret approaching she had a sudden burst of energy, running over and getting scooped up into a hug. He strode into the bar chatting excitedly with his daughter.

Tifa turned to them both looking relieved.

"So everything went okay?

"Still in one piece." Cloud said simply.

"That's great." She looked around, as if afraid someone was listening in. "It's pretty late. I spoke to my landlady and she said you could both stay in the apartment next to mine. Because of all the work you've been doing round here, she won't even charge you rent."

Zack's eyes widened. "That's really generous of her."

"So anyway, I'm sure you're both tired. Why don't you rest up. We can sort your pay out in the morning, if that's okay?"

Cloud opened his mouth to argue when Zack placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, that's fine. I'm pretty beat anyway."

As Tifa led them away he turned to Zack and hissed. "Why won't we get our money now?"

"It's been a long day, I really do just wanna go to bed. Don't worry, we'll get it tomorrow. Tifa wouldn't lie, right?" Zack whispered back.

Cloud didn't think Tifa would hold out on him. The others though, he wasn't as sure about.

They were led to a small apartment building, Tifa went upstairs and stopped in front of the middle door. 

"This will be your place. Right next to me." She pointed to the apartment next to theirs.

"Who lives there?" Cloud asked, pointing to the apartment on the other side.

"Oh that's..." Tifa paused, clearly uneasy. "... The guy who lives there, isn't very well."

"What's wrong with him?" Zack asked.

"No one knows. We thought it might be mako poisoning at first. But… well, his is certainly a strange case."

No more was said on the matter of their mysterious neighbour, though he was still curious. Tifa showed them the inside, which made their home in sector 5 look as big as a mansion in comparison.

"There's only one bed, but you both share anyway right? Though this one might be a bit of a squeeze." Tifa began pacing the room. "The waters clean, so don't worry about that. Should be enough hot water if you both want to shower. And I think that's about it really."

"Thanks Tifa." 

She smiled warmly at them both. "Well, I'm gonna head back. If you need anything don't hesitate to ask." 

Alone at last, Zack leant his sword against the wall, before collapsing on the bed.

"I'm pooped." He groaned.

Zack sat up as he watched Cloud place his sword next to Zack's, before removing his boots and socks.

"Hey. You okay? You've been pretty quiet. Even more so than usual."

He wasn't sure if he should tell Zack he saw a vision of Sephiroth. Knowing him, he would just worry, maybe even going so far as to try and stop him from doing any more work for a while.

"Just tired." He told him instead.

Zack slightly tilted his head to one side, regarding Cloud thoughtfully.

"Yeah. We should get some sleep then." He finally said.

Cloud wasn't sure if Zack believed him, but since he wasn't pressing the issue he wasn't going to push his luck.

Zack once again laid down, Cloud curling up next to him. He snuggled in close, relishing the heat that the alpha gave off. He felt a kiss on the top of his head as Zack wrapped an arm around his middle.

Just as he was starting to doze off he heard Zack starting to snore loudly. He really was tired.

Smiling, he let sleep finally take him. Pushing any thoughts of Sephiroth from his mind, it was just a hallucination after all. Content that Zack was with him, and that he would continue to look after him, as he always did. Just as he was determined to look after him in return.

Together they would be fine. Everything would be fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure Cloud is right and nothing bad will happen.


	6. A new nuisance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for attempted sexual assault and some derogatory language.

The stew was probably the best he had ever eaten. The meat just fell apart in his mouth, the various herbs and vegetables worked together to bring out the full flavour of the broth. It was as if each spoonful was a little bit of heaven. Now he realised why Nibel dragon was so popular in Midgar. It was delicious.

"This is probably the best meal I've ever eaten, Mrs Strife." He gushed.

Claudia Strife seemed pleased. "Help yourself to more. I like a person who can appreciate my cooking." She looked pointedly at Cloud, who flushed under her stare.

"I like your cooking." He muttered.

"Right. Well explain to me why it was always such a battle just to get you to eat your dinners?" She laughed at her son, not unkindly, though he obviously didn't appreciate it all the same.

"Oh, Mrs Strife. Cloud told me you're the village's seamstress?" He quickly changed the subject. It worked. While Claudia began chatting away, Cloud shot him a grateful look.

The rest of the meal was filled with idle conversation. Claudia was eager to hear all about Cloud's life in Midgar and since her son wasn't sharing much, she instead interrogated Zack. Cloud remained quiet throughout the meal, but he appeared happy to be home again. Zack had never seen him so relaxed before.

After his bowl was cleared, Cloud stood up, putting his helmet back on. "I need to take over the night patrol. Thanks for dinner."

Claudia went over and gave Cloud a quick peck on the cheek, causing him to turn a bright red. Without so much of a backwards glance he quickly left the house. Claudia sighed sadly as she started to clear the table.

"I'll clean up for you ma'am." He offered.

Claudia shook her head. "Oh don't you dare. You're a guest."

He smiled wryly. "Maybe, but if I ate someone's food and didn't help clear up, my mom would have my head."

Claudia laughed. "Very well, but I'm not letting you do it alone."

He helped clear the table before starting to wash the dishes, as Claudia dried and put away.

"I've never seen Cloud so comfortable around someone else." She said quietly.

He looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"He's never really found it easy to get along with others. They all had their own groups and he, well." She paused, unsure on what to say next. "He finds it hard to open up to people. It doesn't help that he's an omega. I know some of the children have given him a hard time because of it. I think, It always made him feel like he had more to prove."

"What about Tifa? Isn't he friends with her?" He remembered Cloud mentioning her a few times. 

Claudia shook her head. "I can't say they're close. He used to be sweet on her, and she is a lovely girl, don't get me wrong now. But she's very popular with all the other kids. Always trying to include everyone. Spreads herself too thin, you know? And well, you know what Cloud is like. He's not exactly the type to take the initiative when it comes to relationships." She chuckled somewhat sadly.

"Oh." He didn't know what to say. Cloud was the quiet kind. But even so, he managed to make at least a couple of friends beside himself. It sounded like his life in Nibelheim was quite different.

"Besides." Claudia's tone turned bitter. "That hard headed father of hers certainly hasn't helped matters."

"What do you mean?"

"When the kids were younger, poor Tifa got into a nasty accident. We weren't sure if she was even going to make it, and her father, he blamed it all on Cloud. Even though he had nothing to do with it." She gripped the bowl she was currently drying so hard, Zack was sure she would break it. After a moment passed, she sighed. Loosening her grip and looking sad once again. "A lot of the other villagers blamed him. They treated him like something nasty stuck to their boots. Not that they ever liked him much to begin with. You could say that the folks round here are very traditional. So a fatherless child is a personal affront to their principles."

"Cloud's never mentioned his dad."

Claudia went silent, Zack thought she wasn't going to say more on the matter.

"Not much to say." She said finally. "He's not from around here, and I was young. I liked the attention he gave me. Made me feel special. Well, it was just a casual fling. He left with hardly a word one day. Still, he gave me the greatest gift I could ever ask for." She glanced towards the front door, as if Cloud was still lingering.

Now he understood why Cloud never spoke much of his home. It sounded like he didn't have many fond memories of the place. Claudia turned to him, smiling warmly.

"I'm glad he has you." She said gratefully.

"Ah. I'm not sure how much help I am." He laughed sheepishly.

"Oh more than you know. He always mentions you in his letters. In fact I reckon I know more about you than I do about anything else in his life." 

He didn't know what to do with that information. He found it rather flattering that Cloud obviously thought so much of him.

"Please continue to look after my boy."

He nodded. Not even needing to be asked. "Of course."

* * *

It turned out that Avalanche didn't have their full payment ready. Despite assurances that they would get it by the end of the day, he couldn't help but feel annoyed. Zack was obviously unimpressed as well, but he didn't voice his displeasure. Instead they both accompanied Tifa while she sold water filters. He wasn't sure either of them were needed, but Tifa insisted it was to make sure there were no payment disputes.

Of course, things very rarely went smoothly. What should have been a quick job, ended up taking most of the day. Mainly because they kept getting dragged into doing odd jobs for what felt like everyone in sector 7.

If he was honest with himself, he would much rather be spending some alone time with Zack. Ever since they had shared that first kiss, he had wanted more. He thought he would be too nervous, seeing as he had no experience whatsoever when it came to relationships. But there was something about Zack that gave him a boost of confidence. Made him want to go all the way. Maybe it was because he was an omega and Zack was an alpha. Or maybe Zack just had that effect on him.

He should probably stop thinking such thoughts, before he lost control of his pheromones and everybody nearby could smell how horny he was feeling.

By the time they made it back to Seventh Heaven, he was incredibly fed up, but thankfully paid. 

Somehow they had both been forced into having a celebration. He was surprised to see that even Barret had agreed to drink with them. Though the sharp looks he sent them both, especially himself, made Cloud think that it was rather reluctantly. 

Oh well. It wasn't like he was there to make friends.

He decided to sit at the bar alone, while Zack got drawn into a conversation with Biggs.

After a few minutes, Jessie slid onto the barstool next to him, and began to help herself to a rather bright yellow drink.

"So, why you sitting over here by your lonesome?" She asked.

"You're all too loud." He told her.

Behind him he could hear laughter as Zack started playing some kind of party game with Biggs and Wedge. It appeared to involve a bunch of playing cards and a knife. Cloud didn't really want to know what he had planned, but he assumed it wasn't going to end well. Especially when the alcohol started to kick in. Tifa hovered over them, sternly warning them not to mark the tables. Barret watched, the corners of his mouth slightly lifting with the ghost of a smile.

"Yeah, can't argue with that." Jessie laughed.

He could see her staring at him out of the corner of his eyes. He ignored her in favour of sipping at his drink.

"You guys were amazing by the way. Don't think we could have done it without you."

He shrugged. "It wasn't that tough."

"Wow, so cool." She giggled.

He started to fidget, unsure about how to respond. She didn't seem to notice his uneasiness, as she carried on talking.

"Soooo. Reckon you both will stick around for the next mission?"

"That depends. Will we get paid on time?"

Jessie winced at that. "Look. I'm really sorry about that. How about a nice big bonus if you take the next job? I'll even throw in a nice home cooked pizza. Not to brag, but I make a great pizza." 

Cloud sighed. "Not interested."

Jessie feigned shock. "No one has ever turned down my pizza. Come on. You'll like it, promise."

She seemed so enthusiastic, Cloud could feel his resistance waning.

"No promises. But maybe I'll take you up on your offer." He relented.

Jessie fist pumped so hard she wobbled on the stool slightly. "Awesome. I bet you and Zack are gonna love it."

Cloud was grateful when Wedge called her over to take a turn in whatever game they were playing. He liked Jessie, but she could be a bit much at times.

Feeling a bit light headed, he decided to head outside and clear his head. The alcohol, and Jessie's enthusiasm were getting to him.

The moment he stepped outside, he noticed something was wrong. A small group of men, four in total, were gathered just up ahead. They appeared to be stopping people as they passed. The fearful looks on the peoples faces made Cloud think they probably weren't having a pleasant conversation. 

They looked like stereotypical thugs, loitering around, giving off the type of aura that indicated they believed they were untouchable. Each one was dressed in tight leathers, and each one wore a jacket with a gaudy looking dragon on the back. Some kind of gang symbol maybe? Probably best not to get involved. He was about to walk away until he overheard them.

"You sure the guy with the gun arm is round here?" 

"That's what the boss said. And we ain't leaving till we find him."

He started to approach the group, the guy who appeared to the leader's head shot up. With a lurch in his stomach, Cloud realised he was an alpha. One who had a very unpleasant scent. Sour with a hint of sweetness. Like meat that had started to go bad.

"Well well well. What do we have here boys?" He strutted over to Cloud, leaning in far too close for his liking and breathed in deeply. "You smell nice." He leered.

Cloud shot him a warning look. "Back off!" He growled, as his scent spiked in a warning.

The man didn't seem fazed, but took a step backwards all the same. Throwing his hands up in wbat should have been a calming gesture, but he instead made it seem condescending.

"Simmer down blondie. Just appreciating the view." His eyes roamed up and down Cloud's body, lingering on certain spots inappropriately.

"You said you're looking for a guy with a gun arm?" He asked quickly, hoping to change the subject before things turned ugly.

The man's eyes widened at that. "You know something?" 

"Maybe." Cloud shrugged. "Information comes with a price though. Five hundred Gil."

The man scoffed. "Two hundred."

"Three."

He hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement. Looking somewhat amused and annoyed at the feisty omega before him.

"Let's go talk somewhere quiet, kay?"

Every instinct told Cloud not to wander off alone with these thugs, but he wasn't going to let them get near Barret, which would also lead them to Tifa. 

He was led through the streets as the people around shot them worried looks, backing off as they approached. One of the men laughed at how scared everyone was of them, as another barked unnecessary threats at anyone who so much as glanced in their direction.

They led him to a small clearing, just far away enough that they could speak privately.

"So I heard male omegas have pussys as well? That true?" One of the goons sneered at him. Reaching towards his crotch as if to check. He smacked his hand out the way causing the guy to let out a surprised yelp.

"Touch me, and I'll break that hand!" He snarled. The man who reached for him paled slightly, looking to the alpha desperately.

The leader simply chuckled derisively. "Play nice now darling. He was just curious."

They all circled him, cutting off any possible escape routes. "So, what do you know about the guy with a gun for an arm?"

"That depends." He shrugged.

The alpha got up in his face. "You wasting our time?" He snarled.

"Shinra's time?" Cloud asked. He noticed how the thugs shared amused looks amongst each other.

"Shinra knows better than to poke their nose in my bosses business." The leader scoffed.

That was interesting. Whoever their boss was, they thought they were more powerful than Shinra. That probably made them incredibly stupid. Or their minions were. Most likely both.

Knowing that they weren't going to let him just walk away, and wanting to discourage them from remaining in sector 7, he drew his sword, causing the group to step back in alarm. They either failed to notice the huge weapon on his back, or they didn't think an omega would dare stand up to them.

Drawing a knife, the one who tried to grope him before, lunged at him. He easily sidestepped, slicing at his arm, causing him to drop the knife and clutch at the deep cut. The man wailed in pain as the others advanced on him.

Despite their tough guy personas, it was obvious they had no real combat training. Their moves were uncoordinated, relying on cheap shots. He easily dodged their attacks and counter attacked. As the third one fell, he had noticed the last one, the alpha, drinking something. He thought it might be a potion until a crazed look set in the man's eyes, and his scent suddenly became overpowering. Cloud had to stop himself from retching as the smell assaulted his senses. His instincts cried out to him, warning him of the danger.

With a vicious roar the man charged, clawing at him like a vicious animal. 

He dodged out of the way but the man kept going for him. It was as he had turned completely feral. Forgetting his knife, the man instead swung his fists at Cloud.

He had been concentrating on blocking the man's ferocious moves, he had failed to notice he was getting backed into a corner, literally.

Using his sword as a barricade, the man snarled, furiously snapping his teeth. Despite his vicious attacks, he still wasn't that strong, just relentless. Suddenly lowering his sword, Cloud sidestepped, just as the guy lunged forward. Grabbing the back of his head, he slammed him into the wall, and once again for good measure. The man collapsed onto the ground, bleeding from the wound on his forehead, but simply unconscious.

He heard one of the men groaning as he came to. Marching over he slammed his sword into the ground, mere inches from his head, causing the man to yelp.

"Why are you looking for the guy with the gun arm?" He demanded.

"I-I was just following orders. Our boss wanted to know where he's hiding, that's all." The man whimpered.

"And who is your boss?" 

"Don Corneo! Look. We'll go back and tell him we found nothing. I swear. Just let us go man." He sobbed.

He yanked the sword out of the dirt, causing the man to flinch. "I see you around here again, any of you, you're dead."

With that he turned and walked away, satisfied that they wouldn't be bothering anyone in sector 7 for a while.

First things first though, he needed to warn the others about what happened.

* * *

"The hell you mean we should wait!?" Barret bellowed.

Zack knew his suggestion wasn't going to go down well.

"Cause there's people looking for you. Literally on your doorstep." He gestured towards the door. "And I don't know much about this Corneo, but from what I've heard, he's bad news."

Barret scoffed. "So what? I can handle it."

"Even if they go after this place? Your friends? Your daughter." Cloud pointed out.

Barret visibly bristled. "What you trying to say!?" He marched towards Cloud, Zack stood between them, giving the larger man a warning look.

"Um, waiting might not be such a bad idea." Jessie spoke up. "I've been having trouble getting hold of my supplier. I have a few other options in mind, but it could take a few days."

Wedge, who had been hovering by the side quietly stepped forward. "I mean, we should be careful right? If we have Shinra  _ and _ this Corneo guy looking for us?"

Zack walked up to Barret, being careful to school his expression into one of concern. "All I'm saying is to be patient. No one's gonna save anything if we're in a prison cell."

Barret rounded on him, his expression firm. "One week." He held up a finger to Zack's face. "I'm waiting one week. Then we're gonna go ahead with the plan, no matter what."

They came to an agreement. Barret and the others would prepare for the upcoming mission, and Zack and Cloud would look into Don Corneo. 

Finding out about the man wasn't very difficult. He was after all, far from subtle. They found out he practically ruled sector 6, otherwise known as Wall Market. He was a self described ladies man, and he had a lot of people working for him. Petty thugs and ex military mostly. There were a few rumours that he was in Shinra's pocket, which explained how he was able to get away with so much. It seemed he also dealt with drugs, sex trafficking, and assassinations. Basically if it was unsavoury yet profitable, he had a hand in it.

They had agreed that they would take a visit to Wall Market the next day, since night was fast approaching, and they wanted to head in refreshed. With nothing else to do for now, they decided to head back to their home in sector 5, and rest up. Since Cloud hadn't slept well in the sector 7 apartment. It wasn't unusual for omegas to only feel comfortable in their own spaces.

When they got home Cloud had jumped straight into the shower. Zack couldn't help but wish that he was in there with him. Sadly he himself could barely fit in the shower. If he tried to squeeze in the same time as Cloud, there was a strong possibility they would get stuck.

He showered after Cloud, enjoying the feel of the hot spray on his skin. As he cleaned himself, it occurred to him he never spoke to Barret about what happened during the mission. The Avalanche leader was just as determined to carry on, despite the destruction they caused. Jessie was horrified with her bomb, so hopefully she would be more careful next time. It was strange though. He didn't think a small bomb like that could do so much damage. Jessie suggested a reaction to the mako but he wasn't sure. He couldn't shake the feeling that something fishy was going on.

His suspicions only increased with this Don Corneo looking for Barret. Why would he be interested in the terrorist group, and if Shinra were having him try and find them, why go through all the trouble? Why not use the Turks? It was their kind of job after all.

He was glad that Cloud was okay. He couldn't help but feel annoyed that Cloud went off and fought on his own. Especially when one of the assailants was an alpha.

No.

Cloud could look after himself. He wasn't helpless. He needed to support him, not treat him like some delicate doll. He had proven he could take on more after all.

As he finished up, he wrapped a towel around his middle and exited the bathroom. Cloud was sat on the end of the bed, in nothing but his boxers and a vest. His hair still damp and stray golden locks framed his face. He stared ahead with a contemplative look.

"Everything okay?" He asked. Cloud looked up at him then down to his lap.

Zack suddenly realised what was wrong. The soap and shampoo he used had masked the smell for a moment, but even that couldn't do much for long.

Cloud was aroused. And he wasn't bothering to hide his scent at all.

"Um. Cloud?" He asked, unsure about what to do.

Cloud refused to meet his eyes. His face was ever so slightly flushed. "I want to kiss you." He said so quietly Zack barely heard him.

"Sure." He smirked, as he went over to Cloud, kneeling next to him and pressing his lips to his. He wasn't sure what suddenly got Cloud in the mood, but he wasn't going to complain.

Cloud wrapped his hand around the back of his head, bringing him closer. The kiss deepened, both of them moaning into the other's mouth.

They broke the kiss abruptly and Zack started to press chaste kisses to Cloud's neck. He slid his hand over Cloud's stomach, causing him to jolt upwards.

"This okay?" He murmured into his neck.

"Y-yeah. It's fine." Cloud gasped out.

"Can I take this off?" He asked, tugging lightly at his top.

"Yes! Just do it already!" Cloud snapped.

Zack chuckled. "So impatient." He sucked lightly on his neck, causing Cloud to moan. He was so sensitive, reacting to even the lightest of touches.

Carefully coaxing Cloud to lie down, he carefully peeled back his underwear until his erection sprung out. Already fully hard. He tugged the boxers over his ankles, casually throwing it in a random direction and really took in the sight before him. He had seen Cloud naked many times before, but that was during the time he was unconscious, and he had needed to take care of him. Out of respect, he had quickly washed and dressed him again, never taking any notice of his body. Now though, he could finally take the time to truly appreciate it.

Cloud's body was really a wonder. Small and slender, yet at the same time strong and muscular. He breathed in his scent, oranges and cinnamon, his favourite smell in the whole wide world. 

"Don't stare. It's embarrassing." Cloud muttered, turning his head to the side so he didn't have to look at Zack.

"Can't help it. You're just too damn gorgeous."

Cloud rolled his eyes at that, but looked pleased. The smell of citrus and cinnamon increased, exciting Zack.

He shuddered as Cloud reached forward to lightly stroke the outline of his cock through his towel. He soon gained more confidence and began to stroke harder.

"Off." He demanded. Zack was only too eager to comply. The towel soon joined Cloud's underwear. Wherever it was.

Cloud's eyes widened at the sight before him. "See what you've done to me babe?" Zack chuckled.

Cloud slowly reached for his length, wrapping his fingers in a firm, yet gentle embrace. He slowly began stroking once more. It felt as if he had been shocked, a pleasurable tingling spread around his groin and up throughout his cock. He didn't realise at first how much he was panting and moaning.

"Yeah baby, keep going." He groaned. It seemed to urge Cloud on as he started to stroke faster. He let his fingers lightly brush over the head, causing Zack's heart to beat faster. He felt his leg spasm at his side and it took all his willpower to remain upright.

Cloud bit his lip, a determined but slightly dazed look upon his face. It was incredibly erotic, he wondered what kind of face Cloud would make when he came.

That thought was the one that pushed him over the edge. "Ah! Cloud I'm!" He never finished his sentence as his mind went completely blank, succumbing to blissful euphoria. The orgasm had hit him hard. His body, which had tensed up, suddenly relaxed as he almost collapsed in a heap on top of Cloud.

As he started to regain his senses he looked at Cloud and almost gasped at the sight of his come all over his chest, a little had even landed on his chin. With a shudder he wiped it off. He was glad he didn't knot, otherwise he would have made an even bigger mess. Though he couldn't deny the thought was a huge turn on.

"Oh man. I needed that." He moaned. His arms felt weak as he gently coaxed Cloud to lie down. "My turn to return the favour."

"You don't have to." Cloud told him, but Zack just chuckled in between kisses along his thigh, working his way upwards.

"I want to."

Cloud inhaled sharply, but spread his legs more to accommodate Zack.

"Just let me know if you want me to stop, or if something feels good, okay?"

He felt rather than saw Cloud nod. He wondered where to start before deciding to lightly start stroking Cloud's cock. He was immediately met by a moan so he carried on for a little longer, slowly increasing the speed of his strokes. It didn't take long before pre come started to ooze out of the tip, leaning forward he lapped at it causing Cloud to yelp.

"Z-zack!" 

"Feel good?" He asked, grinning.

Cloud couldn't speak, the most he could get out was a simple. "Mmhmm."

He took the tip into his mouth, using his tongue to massage the head as Cloud carried on moaning unintelligibly. He took in more of Cloud, alternating between sucking and massaging the tip.

He could feel Cloud twitching in his mouth and he knew he was close already. He began to insert a finger in between his folds which were now dripping with slick. Less than a second later Cloud cried out a warning, before his back arched up off the bed. He came down Zack's throat, before falling back down bonelessly.

Zack swallowed, the taste was as sweet as his scent. As he looked at Cloud's face, he realised he was right. His post orgasmic face was beautiful. Flushed cheeks and glazed over eyes that began filling with tears. He looked as if his mind was elsewhere.

"You okay there?" He chuckled, holding Cloud close. Cloud let out a sound that he thought was a  _ yeah _ . He slowly started to regain his senses, as he came down from his high.

This was enough for now. Cloud was still inexperienced, so he was hesitant to rush things. They would go at a pace that he was comfortable with. 

"You know. He began to say, glancing at Cloud's chest. "I think we need to have another shower."

* * *

The television played in the background as he prepared lunch. The music channel he had switched to was currently playing some old pop song he remembered his mother singing when he was younger, filling him with nostalgia. He wondered how his parents were doing. He had fought the urge to write to them so many times, knowing it would only put them in danger.

Cloud had gone to find Aerith and invite her over. It had been quite awhile since they had spent any real amount of time together. It made him feel rather guilty. Afterall she had been a huge help when they first arrived in Midgar. He didn't want her to feel like they were ignoring her.

Just then an urgent news bulletin interrupted the song. A reporter, grim faced, stood in front of a wrecked mako reactor. Fire and smoke still raging behind him.

**“We interrupt your scheduled programme to bring you this urgent message. The mako reactor 5 was attacked this morning by the same terrorist group that bombed the mako reactor 1 just two days ago. President Shinra has released the following statement.”**

**"** **_The terrorist group, otherwise known as Avalanche, has made another attack against the people of Midgar. I assure you all that-_ ** **"**

Zack blocked out the President's insincere speech, as he felt his insides turn cold. There was no way this was happening. They still had a few more days. Barret and the others wouldn't have gone back on their word. Would they?

How did this happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, thank you to everyone who comments\leaves kudos. They help feed my soul.


	7. Game changer

Cloud couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. As if someone was constantly watching him. Whenever he glanced behind him he could have sworn he saw a hint of silver, that disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared. The smell of smoke and mako lingered in the air, seemingly following him wherever he went. Almost as if he was being taunted.

He was going mad. He had to be. Ever since he saw that hallucination of Sephiroth, he had been paranoid. It took all of his willpower to make himself stay calm. He couldn't let Zack know something was wrong, he just couldn't. It would just make him worry needlessly. There was another reason, one he didn't understand completely, but it was as if there was a little voice inside him, telling him not to talk to Zack, to keep it all a secret.

Honestly, it scared him. Regardless he needed to handle this by himself. After all, it was only his mind playing a rather sadistic trick on him. Nothing more.

The church had done wonders at easing his worries. It was as if there was a strange, comforting power there. The soothing scent of Aerith's flowers chased away the lingering smell that seemed to follow him, allowing him to think clearly.

"So tell me. How did the date go?" Aerith asked as she checked on her flowers.

"It was okay." Cloud answered, not really wanting to have this conversation. Not that he was ashamed, but because he knew that Aerith would get way too excited, and he wasn't sure if he had the energy to keep up with her enthusiasm today. It sometimes felt like she was more eager to see him and Zack together than either of them were.

"Just ok? Awww, is Zack that bad?" She pouted.

He rolled his eyes. "Zack was fine. The movie however, was awful."

Aerith just laughed lightly as she started to pack her gardening tools away. "You know, you smell happy lately." She mentioned, not even looking at him.

"W-wha!?" He flinched. "Why are you smelling me?"

She spun around, giving him a slightly apologetic look. "It's not like I'm doing it on purpose. You're pheromones are all over the place."

He inwardly started to panic. "Shit. Really?" He checked himself, as if he could actually see his pheromones wafting off of him.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much. I've always been more sensitive to these kinds of things than others. Besides, it just means you're more comfortable around Zack. That's a good sign, right?"

Technically it was, but it didn't mean Cloud liked it any less. The thought of anyone else being able to smell his mood so easily filled him with dread. He wanted some privacy dammit. He could only control his pheromones so much. Maybe some scent blockers would be the way to go. Hopefully some have been made in the last five years that wouldn't make him feel nauseous all the time. It was like feeling permanently travel-sick. 

"Look, are you nearly finished? Zack's waiting." He huffed. 

Aerith nodded. "I'm just about done here. Sorry to keep you waiting."

As soon as she finished speaking, the heavy doors swung open and multiple footsteps echoed around the hall. Aerith glanced towards the entrance, her expression becoming guarded. Cloud immediately tensed up, turning round to see who their visitors were. 

A young looking man, probably in his mid to late twenties, walked up to them in what could only be described as a swagger. Though his stance was relaxed, and the expensive looking suit was worn rather sloppily, Cloud didn't miss the way his eyes followed their every movement, taking in every detail before him. He also noticed that despite his seemingly casual demeanour, he had a certain rigidness to his movements, as if he was expecting a fight at any second. Whoever he was, he wasn't as laid back as he wanted people to believe.

Judging by the suit he wore, he was likely a Turk. Therefore he was definitely dangerous.

"I'll just let myself in, thanks." He drawled. Looking at Cloud and Aerith with a kind of bored amusement.

"Hello Reno. What can I do for you today?" Aerith's tone was polite but a little agitated. Cloud stood in front of her, eliciting an amused grin from the Turk.

"Just on babysitting duty. Lucky me, eh?" He sighed dramatically. As he examined Cloud a little longer, his smile gave way to a more thoughtful expression. "Don't I know you?"

"This is a friend of mine. He's my part time bodyguard. Cool huh?" Aerith patted Cloud on the back, grinning widely.

Reno leant forward, staring at Cloud's eyes. Cloud simply glared back.

"You a SOLDIER? You have the eyes." He murmured.

"I-" Cloud didn't know what to say. Most people assumed he was, and normally he couldn't be bothered to correct them. With this guy however, it was different. He would probably look Cloud up and find out the truth. Then Shinra would know where they were hiding.

This wasn't good.

Realisation suddenly dawned on Reno's face. "Wait. I know you. You're the kid who's with Zack."

Cloud immediately reached for his sword.

"Damn, you're both idiots, ya know that?" He began shaking his head as if disappointed. "All ya had to do was lay low and keep outta trouble."

"What do you mean?" Cloud demanded.

"Oh, I dunno. What  _ do _ I mean?" Reno smirked infuriatingly.

Incensed, Cloud unsheathed his sword, causing Reno to let out an amused sound.

"Look, my business is with the princess over there, though if you wanna play that bad, I'm game."

He had barely finished his sentence before he rushed forward suddenly, Cloud had little time to react, he held his sword up as Reno lept at him. Electricity shot out from his baton, the static running through his sword, making his fingers numb.

With a wide sweep he threw Reno backwards, who simply landed on his feet deftly. With a lazy wave of his hand, the three Shinra guards behind him marched forward, guns ready.

Despite the tingling sensation that plagued his arms, he easily took out each of the guards before they could even get an attack in. If Reno cared that his allies were taken down so quickly, he didn't show it. If anything he appeared even more amused. 

"Don't fight here! You'll ruin the flowers." Aerith huffed. She ran towards a door that led to the back of the church. "Cloud, this way. Hurry!"

Reluctant to run away, but unwilling to let Aerith go off alone, he followed her. Just in time, as he heard several more guards run into the church. He could hear Reno start to bark orders at them but the sounds became muffled as he slammed the door shut behind him. The room they ran into was even more dilapidated than the front of the church. There was an unpleasant smell of damp in the air. The room was filled with junk and several gaping holes in the ground where the wood had rotted away. He noticed an old cabinet to the side and with Aerith's help he pushed it in front of the doorway, blocking the way in. As soon as they stepped away they heard frantic banging from the other side. It wouldn't hold for long but should buy them a minute or two.

"If we go up to the roof, we can get out that way." Aerith informed him. It didn't sound like a great plan, but neither was trying to fight off a Turk. He wondered how often Aerith had to leave this way. It didn't seem like the first time.

Making their way up the staircase, being careful to avoid the obvious rotten steps, they had just reached the second floor before they heard a loud crash as the door below was forced open, causing the cabinet to fall forward and the guards hopped over it, frantically looking around.

"There they are!" A voice shouted soon followed by a hail of bullets, narrowly avoiding them. Aerith let out a yelp of surprise, ducking down to avoid getting hit.

"Stop shooting you morons. Get so much as a scratch on either of them, you're done." They heard Reno reprimanded the guards.

Wasting no time, the two of them ran as the guards started to pursue. As they reached the next flight of stairs something caught Cloud's eye.

"That should do it." He muttered to himself.

Near the top of the stairs were several barrels. Each stacked precariously on top of each other. The rope holding them together was frayed and mostly rotten. 

Ushering Aerith to the far end of the corridor, he waited until he saw the first guard start to ascend the stairs. With a swipe from his sword, the rope holding the barrels was cut, causing them to cascade down the stairs. The guard let out a cry of surprise as he was knocked backwards. Another one who had been at the bottom also got caught by the falling barrels. 

He could hear groans from the pile, indicating that at least one of them was still alive. Either way he had a feeling neither of them would be getting back up anytime soon.

"Nice going Cloud." Aerith giggled, clearly enjoying herself despite the circumstances.

"That's not going to buy us that much time, keep moving." He ordered. He hadn't seen where the third guard was and he didn't particularly want to wait for him to catch up.

Making their way to the roof, they carefully stepped across the narrow beams, high above the main hall of the church. Aerith held her breath as she made her way across slowly, trying her best not to look down. Below them, Cloud could see the remaining guard, who was conversing with Reno. 

"Shouldn't we pursue the targets?" The guard asked nervously.

"Nah." Reno waved his hand dismissively. "We're done here. Go make sure your friends ain't dead or something." Without another word he turned and walked away, leaving the rather bemused looking guard behind. They waited until he left the church, before leaving themselves.

The duo climbed over the rooftops of abandoned houses. The metal roofs groaned under their weight, but thankfully held. When Cloud was convinced they were a safe distance away he turned to Aerith.

"Why were they after you?"

Aerith just gave him a pleasant smile. "The Turks scout for potential SOLDIERS right? Maybe they think I have what it takes?" 

Cloud simply snorted in response. He had a feeling Aerith knew exactly why a Turk of all people was after her, and he doubted it was because they wanted to recruit her. 

"As fun as hanging out on a rooftop is, should we head back?" Aerith asked.

Zack would want to know what happend. Maybe he knew why they were after Aerith. Besides, it was probably best not to keep him waiting. He was making lunch when he left and he wouldn't be surprised to get home and find the place burnt down.

* * *

When they informed Zack of what had happened he began to pace back and forth frantically. 

"I knew it'd only be a matter of time before the Turks would show up. And with that bombing earlier… oh man I don't like this at all."

"Then we'll deal with them when they show up again." 

Zack stopped and stared at Cloud. "We can't underestimate them."

"And we won't. But I don't see why we should run and hide either." 

A few years ago, he would have agreed. Now, he was just tired. Tired of fighting, tired of running. Because of that, he had let his guard down, not taken things as seriously as he should have. He felt like an idiot. Maybe it would be a good idea to go somewhere else and lay low for a while. One of the other sectors perhaps.

Aerith looked like she was about to say something, but a loud knock on the front door interrupted her before she could even get a word out. Cloud went over to the door, while Zack placed his hand on his sword, ready to fight. As the door was opened slightly, Aerith stepped to the side, holding her staff tightly.

"Tifa?" Cloud sounded surprised. 

"Oh thank goodness I found the right place." He could hear Tifa's voice, which sounded relieved.

Cloud stood to the side to let her in. She glanced around, giving Zack an almost shy grin and Aerith an almost curious look. Cloud locked the door before turning around and looking at her expectantly.

Before anyone could say anything, Aerith rushed up to Tifa, who blinked at her in confusion.

"So you're Tifa? I've heard so much about you." She said cheerfully.

"Oh. Hello?" Tifa looked a bit taken aback at Aerith's enthusiasm.

"I'm Aerith. A friend of Zack and Cloud's. I’m glad I finally get to meet you."

Tifa relaxed at that, smiling warmly at Aerith. "Cloud's mentioned you. You helped them both out when they got to Midgar, right?" 

"What are you doing here?" Cloud interrupted.

Tifa looked over to him, her expression turned grim. "A lot happened this morning." 

"Yeah, no kidding. What's going on?" Zack asked. "You guys had nothing to do with that explosion, right?"

"No we didn't." She said indignantly. "We promised we wouldn't." She started wringing her hands together. "And I'm sorry, I know it was your job, but I couldn't just sit by and do nothing. So, I did a bit of investigating myself."

Cloud bristled, casting a suspicious look at Tifa. "What did you do?" He demanded.

"You know the Chocobo carriage service? Well the guy that owns it has some kind of business arrangement with that Don Corneo. He scouts for potential brides for him. And when I heard he was holding an audition, I put my name down." She wrung her hands together nervously. "And I'm in. Didn't think it would be so easy, but it's the best way to get close to him. For information."

There was a tense silence as everyone processed what Tifa had just said.

"No way." Cloud said sternly.

"Yeah." Zack agreed. "I mean, we appreciate it and all, but it's way too dangerous."

Tifa looked ready to argue, but she stopped when Aerith placed a hand on her shoulder.

"They have a point. Don Corneo is dangerous. He's good at using people's strengths against them." 

"But I need to-"

"Which is why you're not going alone."

Aerith ignored the protests from Zack and Cloud.

"Corneo wants a bride, right? Well, it'll improve our chances if we both go together."

Tifa shook her head. "I can't get you involved."

"Hey, I grew up in the slums. I'm tougher than I look." She practically skipped over to Zack, tapping his shoulder. "And luckily for us we have the best bodyguards in the slums, just in case things go wrong."

Tifa glanced over at Cloud who simply shrugged in response.

"I don't like this plan, but she's stubborn. You're not gonna be able to talk her out of it." 

"That's right." Aerith agreed.

"I don’t-" Zack started.

"Nope." Aerith interrupted. "That's the plan."

Zack sighed dramatically before raising his hands in surrender. "Fine. But don’t try to handle Corneo by yourselves. Leave that to us." He said, gesturing to himself and Cloud.

Tifa and Aerith nodded in agreement while Cloud shook his head in exasperation.

"So when are you auditioning?" He asked Tifa.

"Tonight. Bit short notice I know, but the sooner we meet this Corneo the better right?"

Zack sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Wow. That doesn't leave us with much time." He turned to Aerith. "Well then, let's find out how to get you into that audition."

He honestly hated this plan, but if Tifa and Aerith were going ahead anyway, he would rather be there to watch their backs.

And if what he had heard about Wall Market was even remotely true, then they would need all the back-up they could get.

* * *

After the morning's drama, the rest of the day was pretty quiet. Not that he was complaining. They were all surprised when they woke up to find out that the reactor had been bombed. Barret assumed it was one of the other branches of Avalanche, and although he was a bit put out someone else beat him to it, as long as Shinra suffered, he would let it slide.

Wedge fought to suppress a yawn as he finished up his patrol. Thanks to Zack and Cloud, there were fewer monsters around lately. It had become so safe in fact that even he himself could take on solo patrols.

And this was all he could do really, just patrol. He wasn't a fighter like Cloud and Zack, or even Barret. He wasn't as resourceful as Jessie, nor was he brave like Biggs. Honestly, he wondered why they let him hang around most of the time.

Maybe he should ask Zack and Cloud if they could train him? Cloud would probably say no, he didn't seem very interested in making friends. Wedge had a sneaking feeling it was all an act though. He saw the rare moments when his guard was down and he seemed almost relaxed around them. Perhaps they were growing on him after all. It was hard to tell though.

Zack would probably agree. He was cool like that. Always willing to help people out. He was the kind of guy that Wedge wished he could be like.

Or maybe he should be more like Cloud? The omega was certainly the more level headed of the duo, which was probably for the best. Zack was awesome and all but he kind of reminded him of a puppy. Very bouncy, with a short attention span. 

In a way, they both were perfect for each other. Opposites attract and all that. Plus they seemed genuinely happy together. It was rather sweet actually.

He had always been told that was what it was like for alpha and omega couples. That they were soul mates, and betas like himself would never understand.

The people who made those kinds of statements had obviously never met his parents. They had bonded, and yet they could barely stand being together. They had met while on a drunken night out. Caught up in a whirlwind of hormones and alcohol, they gave each other mating bites. At first they thought things would work out. After all, they were attracted to each other. Sadly they soon found out they had very little in common and yet were still tied together for the rest of their lives. Technically they could have broken the bond. There were ways. But it was a painful process and in many cases, dangerous. Too much stress to put upon the body. He could understand why few wanted to risk it.

It wasn't as if his parents situation was rare either. He noticed it more in the slums, where suppressants were less common. There were many alpha and omegas in unhappy relationships, forced to be together. He felt sorry for them. Or maybe he was just projecting his parents situation onto others. After all, Barret had appeared to have once been in a happy relationship. He never talked about his mate much. All he knew was that she was an omega and had died a few years ago. It was obviously a sore spot for Barret, so none of them had pried.

He stopped in his tracks when up ahead he noticed several Shinra guards in front of the gate leading to the pillar that held the sector 7 plate. The one dressed in red was issuing orders to the others, who quickly ran off in various directions, including the pillar itself. They weren't acting secretive, but at the same time it didn't seem like they wanted attention brought to themselves either.

He quickly ducked behind some debris when a couple ran towards his direction. He held his breath, not daring to let it out until they had passed.

He shouldn't stick around. He had a feeling that he didn't want to get spotted. He would return to the bar. Let the others know that something was going on.

What reason could Shinra possibly want with the pillar?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is Wall Market. Yay!


	8. The town that never sleeps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh. Two months since the last update!? I'm sorry. Real life was a bit hectic in November. But ummmm, this is my longest chapter yet soooo hopefully it was worth it????

Despite the fact that the night had barely begun, Wall Market was already teeming with life. The artificial lights which were almost blinding, combined with the amount of people around made it quite hard to navigate. The smell of sweat, sex and alcohol was rife, making his senses feel overwhelmed. It was bad enough being an alpha in a place like this, but being an enhanced alpha was almost unbearable. He could now see why members of SOLDIER were warned to stay clear of Wall Market, lest they become slaves to their own desires.

Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed how Cloud stood rigid, eyes darting around wildly. He placed his hand on his lovers back, just a light touch but enough to remind Cloud that he was there with him. It seemed to work since Cloud relaxed slightly as he leant into the touch.

Tifa led them to a chocobo stable just on the outskirts of the town where she pointed out the man who had sponsored her, a grizzled older looking man who once he spotted them, walked over with a certain swagger that only overconfident idiots or people who  _ knew _ they were untouchable had. 

"There you are. Was worried you had bailed on me." His voice was gruff, almost coming out like a growl. 

"I'm sorry Sam." Tifa winced before gesturing towards Aerith. "But before I get ready, I was wondering if you could get my friend an audition as well?"

Sam looked surprised. "Why would you want that?" He glanced at Aerith. "And no offence miss, you're a pretty gal and all, but Tifa's gonna win this. She's exactly Corneo's type." 

Aerith took a step forward. "Please. I really want an audition."

Sam simply shrugged. "Fine, I'll put your name down for next time."

"Why not tonight?" Tifa enquired.

"Cause I've already chose you for tonight. Now if it absolutely needs to be tonight's audition you could speak to one of the other two."

"Other two?" Zack asked.

"Madam M, and Andrea Rhodea, so try convincing one of them. Good luck though, since outta the three of us, I'm the nice one." He turned towards Tifa. "Now I'm gonna need you to get ready. Times a wasting and the Don doesn't like to wait."

Tifa turned to them with a determined look.

"We'll find a way in. Don’t worry." Cloud promised her.

She smiled warmly at him. "Yeah, I know."

Sam led Tifa into the wooden building behind him before turning towards them. "Just a bit of friendly advice, if you're looking to cause trouble, don't. I'm not getting dragged into anyone else's shit." 

With that said he closed the door, leaving the three of them to exchange worried looks.

"Why don't we look for one of the other two then?" Aerith suggested. 

"Or we could just force our way in?" Cloud suggested. Eyes never once left the door which Tifa went through. "I don't like the idea of leaving Tifa alone here." 

Zack winced, not entirely comfortable with that either, though he wasn't sure making a scene so soon was the best course of action. "Probably best not to start a fight. At least until we have to."

Cloud opened his mouth like he was about to argue, but relented at the last moment. "Let's get this over with then."

Finding the other two of the trio wasn't difficult at all, nearly everybody knew about them as well as where to find them. First they tried the Honey Bee Inn but were quickly turned away when it was discovered they didn't have an appointment, and with the waiting list three years long they begrudgingly accepted that it was unlikely they would get Rhodea's approval. So they decided to try their luck with Madam M instead.

They found the hand massage parlour in a quiet spot of Wall Market. The place certainly looked respectable, as much as anywhere could look respectable in a place like Wall Market.

As they approached a young man burst out the door, whimpering in fear as he did so. He almost collided with Cloud who quickly stepped out of the way, watching as the man soon disappeared from view.

"Well. This is promising." Zack said lightly.

As they stepped Inside the smell of incense immediately made Zack feel light headed. Strong enough he could almost taste it. Behind the counter stood a beautiful middle aged woman. Her dark hair was pinned up with elaborate golden hairpins and the black kimono she wore hung loosely off one of her shoulders, revealing little, but hinting at so much more. She smiled playfully as they entered, her gaze intense.

"Welcome, welcome. Three of you today? What manner of massage do you desire?" Her voice was as seductive as her looks, rich and husky. He could easily imagine how many people had fallen for her charms. 

"Are you Madam M?”

“Yes I am. What can I do for you?”

"Actually, we're not here for a massage, we were hoping you could..." Aerith started explaining but immediately faltered when she noticed Madam M grip her fan so tightly, they could hear it strain under the pressure.

"Say one more word and I'll shove this fan down your throat!" She snapped, pointing the fan in Aerith's face as if she would actually do it.

The three of them watched in shock over the sudden transformation of friendly businesswoman, to demon from hell. Madam M began pacing in front of them, muttering under her breath. 

"Waste of time, freeloaders." She glared at them, her voice rising with her temper. "I don't have time for this bullshit. If you're not customers then I suggest you leave before I have you shot for wasting my valuable time!"

There were only a few things that had ever truly terrified Zack in his lifetime, and now this lady was one of them.

"Wait a second." She made a beeline towards Cloud, using her fan to lift his chin up. "Name." She demanded.

"Uh, Cloud Strife."

"Give me your hand." She snapped. Cloud immediately obeyed, looking nonplussed.

"Hmmm." She turned his hand over and over, examining it thoughtfully. "Strong and firm, yet elegant and graceful. You're not the type to let anything hold you back, am I right?" 

If she expected an answer she didn't wait for one, instead she let go of his hand and strode towards a corridor, hips swaying as she moved. "This way." Voice once again pleasant. "I want to see what you're truly made of. Afterwards, we'll talk."

"Hold up, what are you going to do?" Zack asked.

"This is a hand massage parlour, what do you think?" She scoffed. "Now hurry up and pick which course you want. I haven't all night." She tapped a sign on the wall which listed various courses, each increasing significantly in price.

"Here." He placed 3000 gil on the counter, not daring to pick any of the cheaper options for fear it would incite her wrath yet again.

"Very good." She practically purred, all friendly smiles and seductive tone again. "Now, follow me."

Aerith and Zack exchanged worried looks as Cloud disappeared into a room in the back. As soon as Madam M closed the door Aerith let out a deep sigh, as if she had been holding her breath till now.

"Wow, that was intense."

"Yeah, tell me about it." He agreed. He made his way to a nearby wall and leant against it, not daring to touch anything while Aerith wandered the foyer, examining all the paintings.

"Think Cloud's okay?" She asked after a few minutes had passed.

"Yeah. I mean, probably?" He was half tempted to go check on him, but instead decided that it was probably safer for everyone if he avoided annoying Madam M any further

The soothing music combined with the smell of incense and pleasant warmth of the room made Zack feel incredibly sleepy. He did wonder if he might have dozed off as he closed his eyes and when he opened them again he could hear footsteps coming from the hallway. It was Cloud who dragged himself into the room, a dazed expression on his face.

"You okay there?" He asked.

Cloud hummed in response, eyes drawn to his hand which he turned over and over, as if trying to figure out if it was really there.

"Helloooo?" Aerith waved at him, but again he barely acknowledged them. 

He made his way over to the corner of the room, stroked the wall before turning around and leaning on it, arms folded and head down. Zack caught a whiff of his pheromones. He smelt calm, much calmer than he had been for a long time. A little bit turned on too. Aerith exchanged a confused look with him as they both silently wondered just what had happened in there.

"So." Madam M said, suddenly appearing behind them. She gracefully moved to behind the counter. "What was it you wanted from me?"

"We were hoping you could get us an audition with Don Corneo." Aerith told her.

"Which one of you?" 

"Well, me." Aerith sounded unsure.

"Oh, not Cloud? That's a shame. No offence to you my dear, but while the Don usually has a preference for women, he has a-" She twirled her fan around as she thought for a moment. "Bit of a weakness for male omegas. Especially ones that look like Cloud there." 

Cloud couldn't hide the grimace on his face, the euphoria from whatever had been done to him before had suddenly gone.

"Oh well, you will do my dear."

He couldn't help but notice that this was the second time now that someone had put Aerith down. He didn't really get it. He thought she was beautiful. What more did these people want? 

"Once we get you in a more suitable dress that is." Madam M carried on.

"And lucky for you I have just the right one. For the right price that is."

"How much?" Zack inquired with a sense of dread.

"Probably more than you can afford. However I think we could work something out. I trust you are capable in a fight? There's an underground colosseum here in town. I'll get you in, you win the tournament and earn me that prize money. In return I'll turn Aerith here into such a beauty she'll knock the socks off anyone who looks at her." 

Cloud and Aerith both exchanged a look with Zack who simply shrugged in response. It wasn't like they had much choice really. Not unless they were willing to leave Tifa to deal with Corneo alone.

"Fine. We'll do it." 

"Good boy. Now run along, you haven't much time."

* * *

As soon as they entered the arena, they were met with the jeering crowd who were less than impressed at these newcomers who dared thought they had a chance.

He couldn't wait to show them.

"What's with the pole baby!? Gonna give us a little dance!?" One of the audience members jeered.

Aerith narrowed her eyes dangerously. "Okay. I'm mad now."

"Ignore them. Concentrate on the fight." Cloud warned.

"Yeah. We're gonna show them just what omegas can do."

"That's the spirit." Zack laughed. 

Suddenly the speakers crackled as they came to life. 

"Our next match we welcome three fighters - An Alpha and his two omegas. Must be trying to build a harem."

"A harem?" Aerith muttered scandalized.

The matches were a breeze. Between the three of them nothing could stand in their way. Although the crowd was incensed at first (it appeared that many had bet against them and were less than thrilled at losing money) The taunts soon turned into praise after a couple of fights, as they became the crowd favourites. Aerith even got a few marriage proposals thrown her way.

They must have been very entertaining to watch as during their break, Madam M stormed into the waiting area, a tirade of profanity spilling from her rose painted lips as she ranted about the fact that they were to fight in a surprise round before they could claim the reward money. And Zack could see why it was called a surprise round. Out of all the things he had expected to face in the arena, a house was probably bottom of the list. It was even more surprising when it actually proved difficult. Their swords did little to its protective outer layer, and it changed it's elemental weakness often enough that it was hard to keep up, even with the various materia they had between them. When it started throwing explosive teddy bears at them, Zack was ready to leave, prize money be damned.

Eventually, they triumphed. A little worse for wear but nothing that a few potions couldn't sort out.

The cheers from the crowd were deafening. Their names became a chant of adoration. A far cry from how it all started. They were now so well loved that various gifts and congratulatory messages had been left for them in the corridor, including a rather large bouquet of flowers for Cloud. He took one look at it before turning on his heel and made his way to the exit, rather quickly.

By the time they returned to Madam M she was ecstatic, with nothing but praise for the three of them. As promised she dragged Aerith away, with a guarantee that she would be all but unrecognizable when they next saw her.

With nothing else to do but wait, they decided to have a look around. The sound of karaoke drew Zack to a rather cosy looking bar. It seemed like a decent enough place to waste some time in. Better than the sleazy looking inn anyway.

"You know, seeing all that stuff you got in the arena reminds me of the fan club you had."

"What fan club?" 

"You didn't know? You had a lot of admirers. Even among SOLDIER."

"No I didn't." Cloud grumbled. Sipping at his drink without looking at Zack.

"You did!" He insisted. "Don't you remember the love letters you got nearly every week?"

"They were just messing with me."

Zack was surprised. Cloud seemed to genuinely believe what he just said. Did he honestly have no idea how charming he was?

"They weren't, honest. You seriously had a fan club. They were called the Chocobo something or other."

"The Fluffy Chocobo?"

"That's the one! Wait, you know about it?"

Cloud suddenly looked mortified. "I thought that club was about Chocobos. I tried to join but they wouldn't let me."

Zack burst out laughing. "Seriously? Really wish I could have seen their faces."

"I remember you had a fan club as well." Cloud was obviously trying to change the subject.

"Yeah the Zack Fair fan club. Wish it had a better name, but what can you do? I was just happy I had one." He sighed wistfully. "Heard it disbanded cause of lack of funds. Plus y'know, people thought I was dead."

"I joined it." Cloud spoke so quietly Zack barely heard him.

"Woah really?"

Once again Cloud became very interested in his drink, which was practically all gone by now. Leaning forward Zack kissed the top of his forehead before tucking his head gently under his chin. Cloud relaxed in his embrace, snuggling his face into the crook of his neck. 

"I have a confession." Zack chuckled. "I joined your fanclub too."

* * *

"I don't think I've ever worn heels this high." Aerith laughed nervously.

"Well just make sure you don't fall flat on your face." Was all Madam M said as she finished styling her hair. "There. All done."

Aerith turned to look at herself in the mirror and almost didn't recognise herself. The dress was absolutely drop dead gorgeous. A long rich red silk dress that was made up of many layers, billowing out at the bottom. It was split up the side allowing her leg to peek through. Her makeup complemented the dress perfectly, and her hair was styled in elaborate ringlets, adorned with fake red flowers. To finish off her look she was given a golden necklace with matching bracelets.

It was obvious that this was all incredibly expensive, far more than she could afford. Though If she was completely honest, it was a little too much for her tastes. She would have much preferred something a little more down to earth but Madam M assured her that this was more likely to get the Don's attention, so she just had to grin and bear it for now.

"Well my dear, I almost feel sorry for any alpha who sees you like this. How could they resist?"

They heard the door opening, as Zack and Cloud walked in, Zack talking animatedly about something. With a deep breath she stepped carefully into the reception area, trying her best to move as gracefully as possible. Both men froze when they saw her, mouths agape.

"Hey." She waved at them.

"That dress is…" Cloud couldn't even finish his sentence, he was too flustered. Zack appeared to have regained his senses quicker.

"You look amazing!" 

"You think so?" She asked nervously. She couldn't help but feel out of place.

"It's rude to gawk." Madam M chastised good naturedly. "By the way, I have some good news. I spoke with Andrea after your riveting display in the arena and he was most interested in Cloud." She brushed her fan lightly against Cloud's cheek. "He wants to meet you in person." She purred.

This was promising. If Andrea wanted to sponsor Cloud then it meant that all three spots were filled. That information was as good as theirs.

"Now come along now. Andrea's putting on a show tonight and it is not one to be missed."

* * *

The Honey Bee Inn wasn't quite what Zack was expecting. From the stories he had heard, he was expecting some seedy brothel, instead it appeared to be some kind of entertainment club. Though he did notice some of the workers discreetly taking clients into what appeared to be private rooms so maybe it was a bit of both.

As soon as they stepped into the foyer, two women dressed as honey bees appeared seemingly out of nowhere before practically dragging Cloud away before any of them even knew what was happening. 

"No need to fret, they're just getting him ready for the show." Madam M explained, noticing how Zack had tensed up.

"Why does he have to get ready?"

"Oh, you'll see." Madam M promised.

The faint sounds of lively music and cheers practically exploded once the doors to the main club area opened. Madam M had a table reserved where she allowed them both to sit with her. Aerith looked excited, barely able to sit still.

About ten minutes passed before he noticed the same two honeygirls from before walk past, still clinging to Cloud who looked somewhat flustered. They sat at a table nearby before excitedly chatting away with Cloud, stroking his muscles and hair. 

Just then the lights dimmed as the music started. The stage erupted with lights as the dancers performed a rather sensual dance number. Zack couldn't stop his foot from tapping in time with the music. It was honestly very catchy. He had a feeling that the song was going to get stuck in his head for a long time after.

Just then Cloud was essentially shoved onto the stage, looking incredibly out of place next to all of the professional dancers. One man caught Zack's attention. He had a slim yet athletic physique. Although his clothes had a honeybee design, it differed from the other dancers, being far more elegant. He must have been Andrea Rhodea. 

Andrea held out a hand to Cloud who shook his head and went to walk off the stage but was blocked by a couple of dancers. His eyes met with Zack's who gave him an encouraging thumbs up while Aerith cheered enthusiastically beside him, having apparently really gotten into the show. Cloud looked defeated before turning around and reluctantly joined in.

It wasn't as if he had never seen Cloud dance before, though he had no idea he could dance _ that _ well. Occasionally if their days off coincided, they would go clubbing together in sector 8. Despite his reserved nature, once Cloud was relaxed around someone he actually was more willing to show his more playful side. Zack hoped he could see that side of Cloud again one day soon.

The song and dance ended to rapturous applause. Although Cloud had obviously messed up a couple of times, he had still been able to keep up with Andrea who looked very impressed with the omega. Cloud barely had time to get his breath back before the music started back up and he was surrounded by several of the background dancers, obscuring him from view.

Several minutes passed as the audience watched in anticipation before the music reached a crescendo, fireworks blasted out in a spectacular display, and the dancers parted revealing a completely transformed Cloud.

For a moment Zack actually felt his brain stop working as he stared at the sight before him.

Cloud was wearing a dress, an actual dress. The velvety blue bodice with black silk around the bottom and the arms clung tightly to his waist, really highlighting the curve of his hips. The bodice itself had a flower pattern adorning the front, just billowing out to the side. That combined with the way the top of the bodice was shaped gave the illusion of breasts. The long skirt was a rich purple that hid his legs from view, in an almost enticing way. He must have been wearing a hair extension as two pigtails hung down, a black silken bow sat atop his head, just off to the side slightly. Finally, and Zack didn't notice at first, but Cloud was wearing makeup. It had softened his features, giving him an almost delicate look.

He looked absolutely stunning.

The show finished as Andrea dipped Cloud low, leaning in far too close as if he was about to kiss him. Zack couldn't help the jealous feeling that rose from the pit of his stomach. Thankfully Andrea soon let Cloud backup and said something to him that he couldn't hear over all the noise around him. Whatever it was it seemed to surprise Cloud.

As the show ended, everyone in the audience started to leave, gushing over the performance they just saw. Zack and Aerith themselves waited in the foyer, looking over the heads of the crowd, trying to spot Cloud. 

He did eventually leave, but he took one quick look at the two of them and walked right past them.

"Hey, Cloud!" Aerith called after him. 

They both followed as Cloud continued to avoid eye contact with either of them.

"Stop staring." He eventually told them.

"But we can't help it, you look so pretty." Aerith teased. She glanced at Zack and giggled. "Is that a bit of drool I see?" 

Zack blinked a few times as if coming out of a daze. He laughed nervously, running a hand through his hair. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, he found his voice.

"Sorry. But damn, you look great! I mean, that dress is-"

"Not another word." Cloud warned, voice bordering dangerous. "I don't get why I even need to wear this anyway."

"Well, it seems the Don has very unique tastes in his brides." Aerith sounded apologetic.

"It's just until you can get the information out of the creep." Zack said soothingly. "But uh, if you don't hate the dress that much, umm, maybe we could see if we could keep it. For special occasions?"

Cloud glared at him, but didn't look too angry. "I'll think about it." 

"Good. Because that dress is really doing it for me." He wrapped his arms around Cloud's waist. Still amazed at how slim he was. He leant in close to whisper in his ear. "I'm half tempted to take you into one of those back rooms and-"

"Shut up." Cloud cut him off. Though with the way his eyes glazed over slightly, it appeared a part of him was curious to find out just what Zack wanted to do in one of the back rooms.

"Please keep your hands to yourself. I'd appreciate it if you didn't undo all of my work." 

Andrea strode up to them, a slight frown on his face. He watched them as they reluctantly parted before smiling fondly. "But I don't blame you. He really is something else, isn't he?"

Zack could feel heat rising throughout his chest as he suppressed the urge to growl. No. It wouldn't do to get jealous. Andrea was just admiring Cloud and honestly he couldn't blame him. Cloud deserved to be praised.

"Yeah, he is." He agreed, smiling lovingly at Cloud whose face by now had turned red enough to rival Aerith's dress.

"Now I suggest you two get going, the audition will be starting shortly."

Zack went to follow but a hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. 

"It wouldn't be a good idea if you turn up with them." Andrea warned.

"I'm not letting them go alone." He protested.

"You'll never be allowed in, especially armed. But not to worry. After the audition, security will be a little more lax, and I have an…. acquaintance coming by soon. He can help you get in."

Zack looked desperately at Cloud and Aerith, the former shrugged nonchalantly.

"We'll manage. Besides, we need someone to bring our stuff."

"Yeah." Aerith agreed. "I mean, these dresses don't exactly have a lot of room to hide things, if you know what I mean."

"Fine." Zack relented. The idea of them going into probably the most dangerous guy in the slums home, unarmed and dressed inappropriately for combat didn't fill him with much confidence. But Andrea had a point. If he turned up as well he'd get turned away anyway. And it would be stupid to start any trouble until they had the information they needed, otherwise this was all for nothing. 

Besides, Tifa was probably at Corneo's by now. It would be rude to make her wait any longer.

  
  


* * *

Corneo's mansion wasn't hard to miss. It was as if all the gaudiness of Wall Market had been condensed into one building. The man obviously had a taste for Wutai aesthetics, but had only chosen the most expensive, flashy stuff he could find.

Three men guarded the main door. The youngest one caught his attention. He couldn't have been older than eighteen, with silver hair that made Cloud feel slightly uncomfortable with its similarities to a certain someone. His handsome face looked almost bored as they approached, frowning slightly as they showed him the letters of recommendations.

"You're late." He sighed.

"Hey Leslie, got some real quality lookers tonight." One of the other men nudged the silver haired youth. Wiggling his eyebrows in an obscene way.

"I guess. You two gonna escort them in or what? I have somewhere to be."

The two men ushered them inside, hands hovering inappropriately close to their behinds for comfort.

"Wow. Check out Madam M's girl. What a babe." One of the men said in hushed tones.

"Andrea's choice isn't so bad either. Thought he was a woman at first. Looks a little uptight, but I bet that'll change once he gets that cute ass of his pounded."

The men erupted into laughter. Cloud almost turned around but stopped when Aerith placed a comforting hand on his arm. They were directed up some stairs and ordered to go through the far door into what appeared to be a storeroom.

Suddenly the doors closed behind them, Cloud immediately tried twisting the door knob, but the door remained firmly shut.

"Hey Cloud. Do you smell something sweet?" Aerith muttered, sounding drowsy.

"Shit." He cursed, turning just as Aerith half collapsed onto a nearby wooden crate. He let his guard down. 

He desperately fought to stay awake as the two men from before approached them wearing gas masks. They were talking but he couldn't make out the words. It all sounded muffled, as if he were underwater.

It then became dark and Cloud could hear someone talking. It wasn't a man's voice.

It was a woman's, and it sounded familiar.

As he opened his eyes he could make out the blurry outline of someone hovering over him. He blinked a few times as his vision became clearer.

Tifa was looking down at him concerned.

"Hey. You okay there?"

"Tifa?" He murmured.

"Cloud!? I thought it might be you when I saw Aerith. I can't believe it, you look so-"

"Where's Aerith?" He cut her off, almost panicked.

Tifa pointed over his shoulder, to where Aerith was unsteadily getting to her feet.

"She's okay. I was so surprised when they brought you both in unconscious."

"What about you? Did they do anything to you?"

Tifa shook her head. "Apart from some gross comments, and locking me in here. No."

He went over to Aerith, letting her use him to support herself. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She took a moment to fully regain her senses before she noticed Tifa. "Hey Tifa! You okay?" She said cheerfully, as if she hadn't just been unconscious a moment ago.

"Um, yeah, I'm okay." She breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you both managed to get in though."

Aerith nodded. "Yep. And with the three of use, we'll definitely be able to get Corneo to talk."

Just then a loud click echoed in the room as a rather impatient sounding voice called out to them from behind the door, demanding that they make their way up the stairs.

"Let's just get this over with." Cloud told them. Just wanting this night to be over and done with and promptly forgotten.

They got led to an ornate office which was just as tasteless as the rest of the building. One of the men lined them up as if they're prize chocobos. He tried his best to school his expression so his disgust wasn't so obvious.

With a flashy introduction, the man who he could only assume was Corneo poked his head around the corner, creeping forward like some kind of horny gremlin. Practically salivating at the sight before him.

He was everything and yet nothing like what Cloud was expecting. For starters he was an alpha, and one with a rather faint, yet unpleasant scent. Though it was hard to make out since he had decided to drown himself in cologne. It wasn't unusual for alphas who had rather lacking scents and low self esteem to overcompensate. 

Cloud kept his eyes forward but could feel Aerith shudder next to him as she was actually sniffed at. He risked a glance and noticed she was biting her lip hard as her brow furrowed. Next Tifa was examined and Corneo was very interested at the sight of her breasts, letting out a gleeful whinny of a laugh. Finally he stopped in front of himself, eyes drawn to his waist. He felt up and down his arms roughly and Cloud almost hit him as a reflex. Thankfully Corneo soon stood back, nodding approvingly. Either blissfully unaware or simply didn’t care at the look thrown his way.

"Right! I made up my mind." He suddenly announced, leering in Tifa's direction who couldn't hide her mortified expression in time. "Today's bride is-"

"Today's?" Aerith frowned.

"Maybe tomorrow and the day after as well, if you make a good impression." One of his lackeys said, throwing a thumbs up in their direction.

"Pathetic." Cloud spat out.

The following silence was so tense a pin dropping would have been heard.

"Who said that?" Corneo demanded. He stood in front of Cloud and leered at him. "Was it you? You've got a mouth on you blondie. I'm gonna enjoy breaking it in." Grabbing Cloud's hand he started to drag him away. "Today's lucky bride is the cheerful one."

He could feel his stomach lurch as Corneo led him away to the back of the room, towards where he assumed the bedroom was. No, this was a good outcome. At least Tifa or Aerith wouldn't have to be alone with this creep.

"The leftovers are all yours." He announced dismissively, much to his henchmen's delight.

He glanced behind him as Tifa and Aerith were led away. The men didn't look like anything special, he was fairly sure both women could easily handle them. If they weren't such scumbags he would almost feel sorry for them. Speaking of scumbags, he had his own to deal with.

"Still playing hard to get, kitten?" Corneo said in that sleazy voice of his, when he noticed Cloud wasn't following.

He did his best to force a submissive smile on his face. Even though every second that passed his urge to kick the bastard in the balls increased. 

He was led to the bedroom, his eyes taking in all of the various sex toys that Corneo had collected. Ropes, gags, blindfolds. A whip was hung up on the wall in some kind of sinister display. Cloud couldn't fathom a guess as to what the other sex toys were used for. He had never even heard of them before and none looked entirely pleasant to use.

"Look at that silky hair, and such smooth skin. When they said we had an omega auditioning, I could hardly-"

"Back off." He slapped away the hand that had started to caress his neck. The barest of touches, yet it had left his skin feeling like something was crawling underneath nonetheless.

"Relax kitten. It was a compliment!" 

Corneo went over to a drinks stand and pulled out a potion bottle that held a thick pink liquid inside. He poured it into a wine glass and offered it to Cloud who took it tentatively, not intending to drink a drop. It smelled sickeningly sweet, and made his nose tingle slightly as he sniffed at it.

"Just something to help you relax." Corneo told him as he climbed onto the bed, looking at Cloud expectantly.

Cloud sat on the edge, not wanting to get any closer to the man but not wanting to antagonize him too much. For the moment anyway. He felt the bed sag as Corneo inched closer towards him again. "No mating bite I see. Why, have you been saving yourself?" He sounded far too excited at that thought.

"None of your business, asshole." He snapped.

"Oh this kitten has claws! Daddy likes it. Go on, praise me more."

Cloud almost jumped at the sudden flash of light.

"What was that?" He demanded.

"Don't worry your pretty head about it. It's just something to preserve the moment. And make sure you don't do anything stupid like say no."

Great. So now there was a picture of him dressed like this. "Such an asshole." He muttered.

Suddenly he noticed something out of the corner of his eye, nestled between the sex toys that sat haphazardly on top of a chest nearby. An idea quickly formed in his mind.

"Oh I do love it when you praise me with that sweet mouth of yours. In fact, why don't we put that mouth to good use right now?"

Walking over to the chest he set the glass full of the suspicious liquid down before running his fingers across the silken rope. It was soft to the touch but seemed sturdy enough. It would do for what he needed.

"I was actually thinking we could use  _ your _ mouth instead." He said as seductively as he could. Flashing a grin at Corneo whose beady eyes lit up.

This was going to be easy after all.

* * *

"So, uh, Leslie right?"

The silver haired youth was apparently one of Corneo's men, but was willing to help him sneak in at Andrea's behest. He was incredibly quiet, barely even exchanging words, even with Andrea. He simply grunted in response when Zack tried talking with him.

Which led to a rather uncomfortable silence as they made their way to Corneo's place. Which was really something else once inside. It looked like an explosion of red and gold. 

"Hey, who's that?" A rather weedy looking guy demanded.

"New guy." Leslie said bluntly.

The man fixed them both with a suspicious glare. "I wasn't told about a new guy."

"Then maybe you're not as important as you think you are." 

Zack had to suppress a snort, as the man looked incredibly offended. Thankfully he didn't say anything else, just glared at them as they walked past. It seemed Leslie was quite high up the food chain here.

As they made their way upstairs they heard a crash and a cry of pain. They burst into the room the sound came from only to find Tifa and Aerith standing amongst numerous unconscious men. Both women turned to him, Tifa’s fists raised and Aerith wielding…. a chair.

"Well, looks like you have things under control. I got you both a gift." He said, holding up the bag that contained their clothes and weapons. They both flashed him a smile before ushering him outside. It didn’t take long before they had finished getting ready and rejoined Zack.

"Where's Cloud?” Suddenly noticing he wasn’t with them.

"Corneo chose him. C'mon, we shouldn't leave him waiting any longer."

Leslie motioned to the room filled with the unconscious men. "I'll clean up your mess, so get going already." 

Zack gave him a wide grin. "Thanks."

They burst into the office and quickly took care of the unsuspecting thugs that were still loitering around.

"Someone get in here and teach this whore a lesson!" A shrill cry came from the room beyond.

"Guess that's our cue. " Zack smirked at the two ladies who both looked equally amused.

Bursting into the room they saw Cloud standing near the bed, rope in hand while Corneo was sprawled on top of the bed looking rather dishevelled. "Sorry we're late." Zack said, handing Cloud his sword. "We were teaching his men some manners instead."

“I was going to tie him up, but he got impatient.” Cloud explained, holding the rope up.

Zack grinned wildly. “Sounds like a good idea. Here, give me a hand.”

Corneo squealed as he was tied to one of the bed posts. He struggled but it only served to tighten the rope around his wrists. In the end he just settled for glaring at them dangerously. "Untie me, you’ll all regret this!" 

Tifa cracked her knuckles threateningly. "Not before we ask some  questions. For starters, why are you looking for the guy with a gun arm?"

"No idea what you're talking about." 

Tifa scoffed. "Oh I think you do. Better start talking or…"

Cloud put one foot on the bed, leaning forward, expression eerily calm. "I'll cut 'em off." He warned.

Zack couldn't help but find Cloud incredibly erotic right now, still all dressed up but at the same time, so very threatening. He was really hoping Cloud was seriously going to consider keeping the dress. 

Corneo obviously didn't find Cloud as much of a turn on right now, as he let out a terrified squeal. "Okay, okay! Yes I was paid to look for the guy with a gun for an arm."

That caught Zack's attention. "And who asked you to do that?" 

"I can't tell you! They'll have my head!" Corneo squealed.

"Well if you don't tell us." Tifa began.

Aerith also placed her knee on the bed, making a violent ripping motion. "I'll  _ rip _ 'em off." 

By now Corneo was practically dripping with sweat, as his beady eyes darted between Cloud and Aerith. Trying to guess if they were serious or not.

"It was Heidegger! Y'know, head of public security!"

Zack wasn't surprised in the slightest to know Shinra was behind this. "What are they up to? And you better spill the beans otherwise…"

Tifa placed her leg on the bed, mimicking Aerith and Cloud. "I'll smash 'em." 

Corneo let out a pathetic sound, glancing at Zack as if he would sympathise with him. Sadly for Corneo, Zack had no sympathy for people like him.

"Oh believe me, they would do it." He warned. 

"Okay okay! Shinra really weren't happy when they found out Avalanche was still scuttering around like rats. Especially when they decided to attack the reactor. So they're gonna take care of the problem once and for all. And their solution to that particular problem is to take out Avalanche and their home base at the same time."

"And how do they intend to do that?"

"Why with the support pillar of course." He mimicked the sound of an explosion, looking far to gleeful over the implications. "Brutal, but very effective."

Tifa gasped. "They wouldn't." 

"They would." Zack said grim faced. "And I have one more question for you, since you seem to know so much. Who was behind the sector 5 reactors bombing?"

"Shinra." Corneo answered easily, his fear seemingly vanished. "They had it on good authority that Avalanche would target the reactor, but they got tired of waiting you see."

"But why would they blow up their own reactor?"

"To rally the people against Avalanche of course!" He leant back against the pillow, looking like a content cat. "As to why, even I don't know. And I can't say I care either." 

"You're disgusting." Cloud muttered.

"We need to go now." Tifa said urgently.

Just as they were about to turn around, Corneo let out a rather pathetic sound causing Zack to glance back.

“I told you everything I know. So you’ll untie me now, right?”.

"No. I don’t think we will. But don't worry, we didn't hurt your henchmen  _ too _ badly. I'm sure they'll wake up eventually. Hopefully one of them likes you enough to free you."

And so Corneo was left tied tightly to the bed, alternating between threats and begging to be let go, all of which were ignored.

Cloud quickly darted into one of the side rooms, emerging shortly after in his normal clothes. His makeup smudged slightly, but they would have to take care of it later. 

Leslie, who was standing over the unconscious bodies of the men who were guarding the entrance, raised an eyebrow as they hurried past.

"Sorry, but there's another mess for you upstairs. Take your time though!" Zack called after him, as they raced out the mansion and towards Sector 7. Hopefully before it was too late.


	9. And so our world falls down

By the time they had arrived at sector 7, it looked like all hell had broken loose. People were out in the streets panicking as the sounds of gunfire could be heard nearby.

At the base of the plate stood Barret, numerous corpses littered the ground by his feet, mostly Shinra, but a few civilians as well. He addressed the large crowd who were very armed and very angry. Zack couldn’t quite make out what he was saying but the few words he caught were. “ _ Defend our home!”  _ And “ _ Shinra has gone too far!” _

"Barret!" Tifa called out. The large alpha turned in her direction, eyes locking on hers. He waded through the crowd easily to reach them. Jessie, Biggs and Wedge followed closely behind.

"What happened?" Cloud asked.

"Those Shinra scum didn't like the fact we were asking questions. One got a bit jumpy and started firing on us. Their mistake." He turned to Tifa and his expression softened. "Glad you're okay. Did you get the info?"

"Yeah." She replied grimly. "And it's worse than we could ever imagine. They're going to drop the plate."

"You shitting me?" 

Zack shook his head. "Wish we were." 

Barret cursed as Jessie stepped forward, eyes wide.

“But if they drop the plate, it wouldn’t just be the slums that get wiped out. Up top will as well.”

Biggs looked like he was going to throw up. “They would seriously take out two towns, just to get at us? Sick bastards.”

“Well they ain't gonna. We’ll make sure of that.” Barret growled. He turned to Zack, giving him a hard stare. “How much time do we have?”

“No idea. But every second counts.”

Their attention was drawn to a man quickly approaching them with a stern expression. Zack recognised him as Wymer, head of the neighbourhood watch.

"Looks like we hit the jackpot tonight. Remember that mutant hound you guys fought the other day? Looks like it has some friends."

“This day just keeps getting better.” Barret muttered. His eyes suddenly widened in fear. “Wait, Marlene! She's all alone.”

"I'll go. I'll make sure she's safe." Aerith offered.

Barret turned to her, looking conflicted.

“It's too dangerous, I’m going too.” Cloud Said. "Besides, we need to make sure people start evacuating, without the threat of being eaten. And honestly, I don't think the neighbourhood watch could handle those monsters."

He had a point. That monster from before was tough, and incredibly vicious. Sure, the neighbourhood watch probably _ could _ take care of it, but the last thing they wanted while a bunch of civilians were fleeing, were bullets flying everywhere. Pretty much all of the watch favored guns after all.

"I'll take care of the monsters." Cloud continued. "Make sure Marlene's safe, then I'll join you."

It made sense. But he already had to let Cloud be alone in a dangerous situation already tonight, he really didn't want to do so a second time.

Though Cloud had proved he could take care of himself. Multiple times now. He needed to trust him. Instead of trying to change his mind, Zack pulled him close, bringing their lips together. He never got tired of kissing Cloud. It was like coming home after being away for far too long. Like sitting by a warm fire after being out in the freezing cold. It was with great reluctance he pulled away, inhaling his scent as he did so. That soothing smell that always made him feel at ease.

"Ok, stay safe." He whispered.

Cloud couldn't help the blush that tinted his cheeks a bright red, all too aware of the others staring. Aerith shot them both a mischievous grin while Barret looked pointedly away.

"Wedge, you go with them. Make sure my little girl is safe." Barret placed a hand on Wedge's shoulder.

Wedge gave him a thumbs up. "Sure thing boss."

With nothing else left to be said, Cloud Aerith and Wedge ran off in the direction of the town. Zack’s gaze lingered on Cloud for a moment before he turned to the others. All confidence and determination.

"Come on, let's go."

* * *

There were indeed several mutant hounds prowling around in a pack. One of them was thicker and more vicious looking than the hounds Shinra tended to use. The others looked almost skeletal, and underdeveloped. A leg that was far too small, a deformed jaw, flesh where the eyes should be.

A few members of the watch were firing at the beasts, but the bullets barely affected them. A minor inconvenience at best. He grabbed one of the men and told them to start evacuating the people.

Wedge offered to distract the rest of the pack, which mostly involved him running around, waving his arms and yelling loudly. It worked as their attention was drawn to him, which gave Cloud an opening to engage the biggest one. Just as he finished off the leader, Aerith cast a charged spell at the group, taking out all of them at once in a huge fiery blast. Almost immediately, she ran over to Wedge, apologising profusely as he started patting his behind. Curious, Cloud peered over and saw the back of Wedge's shorts were singed. He could feel a smile tug at his lips as Wedge looked at him desperately. 

"Those rabid mutts all gone?" A voice interrupted

An elderly lady strided over to them purposefully. Cloud vaguely recognised her. He was pretty sure she was Tifa's landlady. Marle, if he remembered correctly. An omega who pretty much ran Sector 7. He had never had much interaction with her, the scowls and scrutinising stares she threw at him put him off. She took a liking to Zack though. Most people did.

More people started coming over, cautiously eyeing the smouldering remains of the mutant hounds.

"Some of the watch was telling people to get out of Sector 7, but they couldn't tell us why. I hope you can?" Marle asked pointedly.

Wedge had quickly explained to Marle about the plan to drop the plate. Immediately she had started barking orders for people to spread the word and get out of sector 7. It showed just how much she was respected by the community, with how quickly people followed her instructions. It was now that Cloud realised why people saw her as the de facto leader of the slums.

The gates that led to the sewers were prised open and the people ran through like a raging river. Panicked shouts drowned out the sounds of combat in the distance, and the increasing number of helicopters circling overhead. Marle informed them they led to sector 6, far enough away that everyone should be safe.

Pushing through the crowd, they made their way to Seventh Heaven. The bar was unsurprisingly empty, at first they were worried that Marlene wasn't here until they heard the faint sobs coming from behind the counter.

"Hey Marlene. You okay there?" Wedge crouched down so he was eye level with Marlene, who had tucked herself underneath a shelf, burying her face in her knees.

"Where's daddy?" She sniffled looking up. Her face marked with tear streaks.

"He's out there making sure our homes stay safe. But he was really worried about you, so we're gonna take you someplace else for a bit."

Aerith stepped forward, kneeling down next to Wedge.

"Hi Marlene. My name is Aerith. I'm a friend of Zack and Cloud."

Marlene looked at her curiously. None of the fear she usually held for strangers could be seen in her eyes.

"I'm going to take you to my house, is that okay? It'll be safe there."

Marlene looked at Wedge who nodded approvingly. With a tentative hand, Marlene reached out and took Aerith's.

“Will our home be okay?” She asked in a small voice.

“I hope so. But as long as you have your daddy, you can make a home anywhere.”

Marlene stuck close to Aerith, looking up at her with an inquisitive look.

"You smell nice." She told her.

"Why, thank you." She smiled warmly at the young girl. "You know, I'm glad you're coming with me. It's been hard tending to my flower garden all by myself. I could use a helping hand."

"You have flowers? Real ones?" Marlene's eyes went wide with wonder.

"I do. Lot's of them. Maybe we could fill your new home with lots of flowers as well?”

Any fear Marlene had before had seemingly vanished. She immediately bombarded Aerith with questions who answered each one patiently.

"Looks like Marlene's made a new friend." Wedge chuckled.

They reached the entrance to the sewers where Marle was still busy directing people. The crowd had started to slow down. Hopefully a sign that most people had fled by now.

"Not many people left now. Though I haven't seen Marco." Marle mentioned as they approached.

"Who?" 

"He lives next to Tifa. The apartment at the end." Wedge explained.

Cloud vaguely recalled Tifa mentioning a neighbour who wasn't very well. He glanced at Marle who was looking at him expectantly.

"I'll go and get him." He sighed. "Wedge, can you make sure Aerith and Marlene get out safely?"

"O-of course! You can count on me bro."

"Are you going to go and help the others after you get Marco?" Aerith asked.

"Yeah."

She looked like she wanted to say something. Her lips pressed firmly together before relaxing into a small smile. "Okay, good luck. I better see you all soon." 

Marlene looked up at him, biting her lip. “B-be careful!” She stammered before clutching Aerith’s dress tightly.

“You too.” 

He watched them leave before heading over to the apartment building. Most of the doors were left wide open, items strewn around haphazardly. No doubt due to the occupants rush to leave. He knocked loudly on the apartment at the end and received no response. He knocked again, louder this time and could have sworn he heard the faint moaning of someone from inside.

"I'm coming in!" He warned.

He carefully opened the door and peered in. A man dressed in ragged black robes stood unsteadily in the far corner of the room. He was hunched over slightly so that his forehead was resting against the wall. His knees shook slightly and Cloud was worried they were going to buckle under his weight at any moment.

"Marco? Marle sent me." He waited but got no response. "Listen, you need to come with me. It's not safe to stay here."

Marco simply groaned. He wasn't sure if that was an agreement or if he even understood.

"Come on. I'll lead you out." He said rather impatiently.

Placing one hand on the man's upper back and the other on his arm, he gently, but firmly led him towards the door.

Something soft brushed against his arm, looking down he could see the soft tresses of silver hair. Marco's hand suddenly shot forward, gripping his wrist tightly. He gasped as he looked up and saw Sephiroth's face.

The older man flashed him a predatory smirk. With a terrified yell he pulled with all his might, freeing his wrist and causing Sephiroth to lose his balance, falling backwards and hitting the wall behind him.

With shaking hands he gripped his sword bringing the tip just inches from the man's face.

Which was once again Marco's. If the man was bothered about being shoved into a wall he didn't show it. Instead his blank eyes just stared ahead at nothing in particular.

"S-sorry." He gasped. Sheathing his sword, he took a moment to compose himself. The constricting feeling in his chest soon loosened, though the nauseous feeling in the pit of his stomach didn't want to leave. 

It had been a long day, he was tired. Sephiroth wasn't stalking him. He wasn't real when he saw him before in sector 8 and he wasn't real just then. It was just his fears reacting to the mako still in his body. Causing hallucinations.

Just a hallucination. It couldn't hurt him. It wasn't real.

It was all in his mind.

Hesitantly, he held out a hand and once again started to guide Marco out. As they neared the door he hesitated for a moment, catching the scent of salt and metal. It was an Alphas scent, one he didn't recognise and they were nearby.

Cautiously he stepped outside. Directly below in the large clearing were several Shinra guards, guns pointed at him. In the middle of them all stood a man dressed in the 3rd class uniform of SOLDIER.

The man looked vaguely familiar. A handsome face marred by a look of pure arrogance. His hair was the colour of coffee with just a hint of milk, messy in an attractive way. The part that stood out the most about him however were his eyes, shining brightly with mako, as all SOLDIER eyes did. 

And his own.

"Didn't think I'd find you so easily Strife. Now come down here nice and slowly. I have orders to bring you in alive, but there are plenty of places we can shoot that won't kill ya." He flashed him a brilliant smile, showing off all of his pearly white teeth.

That voice brought back memories. Of being ganged up on not even five minutes after he enlisted. Of jealous stares and taunts as he received praise from their superior officers. Of little pranks such as sticking pins in his boots. Heading back to the barracks to find out his bedding had been soaked with water. Of having to hide his notebooks because if he didn't then he would find them filled with crude graffiti. Of having to watch where he stepped in the mess hall in case a stray foot shot out to trip him up as he carried his tray full of food. He remembered the day he met Zack, as he came to his aid before he was about to be ganged up on yet again.

"Crawford." He said coldly.

Lucas Crawford looked pleased at being remembered and Cloud wished he had forgotten his past tormentor just to spite him. There were always those that looked down on him for being an omega, and Crawford was the worst.

Leaving Marco leaning against the railing, he slowly made his way downstairs, stopping a good few feet away.

"So, how did you find me?" He asked.

Crawford scoffed at the question. "Shinra's known about you ever since you decided to bomb that reactor. You're not exactly subtle."

It still didn't explain how he had managed to track him down to this exact location. He didn't have time to chat though. Zack was waiting for him.

He unsheathed his sword, pointing it towards Crawford. A look of surprise flashed upon his handsome features before being replaced with a sneer.

"Are you seriously going to fight us? Always such a pain in the damn ass. But Fair ain't here to save you now." He spat.

"Doesn't matter. I'm more than enough to handle you."

Crawford's eyes tightened as he bared his teeth. He had always taken great offence over the fact that an omega like Cloud would ever think of himself as his equal or better. And if he remembered correctly, Crawford was skilled. Of course he had to be in order to make it into SOLDIER. He was strong and ruthless, earning the top spot in most physical tests they had to perform. He was also prideful, aggressive and easily angered. Prone to making mistakes if pushed too far. He embodied every negative trait people often attributed to alphas. 

Still Cloud was confident he would win. He had always been better at sword fighting after all.

Without giving time for anyone to react he lunged forward swinging his blade at Crawford, who just managed to jump back out the way in time.

With a curse Crawford drew his own sword and parried the next blow. His underlings stood awkwardly to the side, guns still raised but unsure how to act. They were supposed to capture him alive after all and guns tended to be a bit too lethal for that. Plus it would be pretty bad for them if they accidentally shot their boss.

Cloud went on the offensive, not giving Crawford an opportunity to counter. The Alpha was getting more and more irate, his skin flushed an angry red as he grinded his teeth in frustration. With a quick sidestep he swung his sword at Cloud who saw it coming and blocked it effortlessly. 

Crawford let out a guttural roar. "You were always good at pissing me off Strife. Had a bit of attention from Fair and it made you think you were hot shit. But guess what? You're nothing. You couldn't get into SOLDIER and that's because all your good for is a quick fuck."

Cloud didn't even bother to answer which only further angered Crawford. They both swung their swords at each other at the same time. The blades meeting with a loud clang. Sparks flying as they both pushed against the other.

"No one took you seriously y'know. They only kept you around cause of that cute ass of yours." Crawford's voice took on a manic edge. "What did you do to get praised so much? How many cocks did you suck just to avoid getting kicked out?"

"You're pathetic." Cloud spat. "You were pathetic back then and you're even more pathetic now."

He let one hand go of his sword, sidestepping which caused Crawford to stumble forward slightly. With his free hand he held his hand forward and let loose a bolt of lightning.

The lighting hit Crawford straight in his middle. With a pained cry he staggered backwards dropping his sword with a loud clang as his body spasmed. 

Cloud raised his sword above him, fully intending to finish the fight now before the guards - who finally decided to intervene - reached him.

Suddenly his head erupted in pain. His sword fell to the ground as he clutched at the sides desperately, worried for a second his head was going to split in two. As he fell to his knees, his vision turned green. The taste of mako burned the back of his throat, causing him to gag. A shrill ringing assaulted his hearing, drowning out any other noise.

Why was this happening now!? It had never been this bad before.

He barely registered the sharp prick at the base of his neck. The pain was nothing compared to what was going through his head.

Almost immediately he lost feeling in his limbs, as he gracelessly fell face first to the ground. He fought to stay conscious as his arms were roughly held behind his back, cuffs slapped onto his wrists, holding them in place.

A dull pain erupted in his ribs as someone kicked him. It must have been Crawford as he could hear his voice echoing close by. He couldn't make out what he was saying, the words just didn't want to register. 

He knew he had been shot with a sedative. He knew he should feel worried, even angry at having been caught. But it was as if the numbness that ran through his body also extended to his emotions.

In a way it wasn't so bad, at least the pain in his head was lessening.

He hoped Marco would be able to get out by himself. With great effort he glanced up at the apartments, where he had left the man. Instead, the last thing he saw before his vision became black was Sephiroth, smiling down at him with an almost gentle look.

It was oddly soothing.

* * *

Zack grit his teeth as the barrage of gunfire rained down upon his hiding spot. If he concentrated, he could summon a bolt of lightning to strike the helicopters blades. Of course he would have to have a chance to aim his spell so it would be nice if they stopped firing on him for one goddamn second.

Gunfire came from just below him, hitting the front of the helicopter, causing the glass to splinter. The helicopter stopped firing momentarily, so Zack took the opportunity and aimed for the blades, unleashing a lighting spell.

The spell hit it's mark, the helicopter exploded into flames before spiralling out of control towards the ground below.

Behind him he could hear Barret panting as he caught up with him. 

"Told you not to run on ahead." He frowned.

"I thought you guys were right behind me." He admitted sheepishly.

"We were. Until a group of soldiers attacked us." Tifa informed him.

Zack noticed only Tifa and Barret had followed him. "Hold on. Where's Jessie and Biggs? Or any of the Watch?"

"Making sure more Shinra goons don't follow us."

"Probably a good thing. Seriously do they respawn or something?"

As they raced to the top Zack was convinced that they did indeed respawn. It didn't help that everything was literally falling apart around them, as explosions tore through the infrastructure, making Zack worry that it would fall down long before the plate would.

By the time they reached the top, Zack noticed a familiar face at the huge console, typing away furiously. Reno had barely changed since he last saw him. In a run down bar that Zack swore he practically lived in when not on duty. It was only a few days before he left for Nibelheim and he had found himself dragged along for a few drinks before he was sent  _ "To the ass end of nowhere." _ As Reno so eloquently described it. The last expression he remembered was one of drunken joy. As the two laughed at things he could no longer remember.

Now Reno stared at him with a hardened look.

"Come on man. You don't have to do this. This isn't right, you know that right?" He pleaded desperately, knowing it was ultimately futile.

Reno sighed dramatically. "No, I  _ do _ have to do this. A Turk always-"

"Gets the job done." He finishes bitterly.

Reno flashes him a humourless smirk. "Yeah. After all, I am a professional."

It was a strange feeling. One day he was loyal to Shinra. Felt pride in his status as first class. Liked the people he worked with. Now…. He felt only regret. 

It was time to make things right.

"Let's make this quick." Reno drawled. "Only got five minutes after all."

Reno was faster than he remembered. His weapon had a few new nasty upgrades as well. Though it wasn't long until Reno started to falter. Skilled as he was, the fight was still three against one.

Broken and bruised yet hanging on with sheer willpower, Reno shot him with an almost regretful look, before he leapt from the side. For a split second Zack felt his heart leap but a helicopter emerged from where he had jumped before flying off. 

"I can't stop the countdown!" Came Tifa's desperate cry.

He rushed over and had a look. The warning  **PLATE SEPARATION INITIATED** flashed across the screen. He frantically typed away, trying to bypass it.

Just then the screen flickered.

"I'm afraid the plate separation cannot be undone."

Zack looked into another familiar face. One he had considered, in a rather strange way, a friend. 

"Tseng! How could you?" Zack clenched his fists tightly.

"It was your actions that led to this. You should have realised that Shinra would retaliate." For a split second, a strange look flashed across Tseng's face. Regret? Sadness? Whatever it was, It’s quickly replaced by his usual indifferent look. "You shouldn't have gotten involved Fair. You or your mate."

He stepped to the side revealing Cloud, lying on a stretcher unconscious.

"Cloud!" Tifa gasped.

"You son of a bitch, let him go." He growled.

"I'm afraid I cannot. Professor Hojo has requested his recapture. And with all the attention you both drew to yourselves, surely you realised it would only be a matter of time?"

Zack felt his chest tighten. He  _ knew _ he shouldn't have come back to Midgar. He knew they should have just laid low. But he got so caught up in his little fantasies of playing mercenaries that he ignored the danger.

This was all his fault.

"Take some solace from the knowledge that he is deemed too valuable to hurt. He will be… safe." 

Tseng's hesitation spoke volumes. They both knew just how depraved Hojo really was. They both knew what Shinra did to anyone who became too much of a liability, or no longer had any use to them.

"This is goodbye Fair." 

And with that, Tseng quickly turned off the transmission.

"Shit, we gotta get outta here now." Barret growled. He ran towards the stairs but the floor gave way. He managed to narrowly avoid plummeting down below.

Over the sounds of explosions and warning sirens he could hear the sounds of a helicopter getting closer. Surely they wouldn't try to fight them still? 

The helicopter leveled with the platform, they all raised their weapons ready to fight, just as the side doors opened revealing Jessie.

"Need a ride!?" She called. "Bit of a tight squeeze, but we'll manage."

"The hell did you get this?" Barret asked as they all tumbled in.

"Oh, I just asked the pilot really nicely if he could lend it to us." Jessie informed him with a mischievous grin.

It was then that he finally noticed Biggs, hunched over and clutching his side. Red spread out from the area he was pressing.

"Hey man, you ok?"

"Oh, all sunshine and rainbows over here. It's nothing fatal. Probably. Hurts like hell though." Biggs let out a shaky laugh.

"Hold on!" The pilot called out, and Zack was surprised to see it was Wymer. "The plates coming down!"

With a roar that sounded like the end of the world, the plate above started to fall. Flame and metal tore through the sky towards the ground.

"No." Jessie gasped. Her knees buckled as she collapsed onto the floor. 

The helicopter swung violently as Wymer maneuvered around the debris that fell all around them. Zack closed his stinging eyes as tears threatened to fall. Once again he had failed at being a hero. He couldn't save Sector 7. He couldn't save Cloud.

Could he save anyone?

"Almost there!" Wymer called, just as they reached the outskirts of Sector 6. The helicopter lurched violently as the shockwave from the fallen plate hit them. The world spun violently as the helicopter careened out of control. Wymer shouted something but Zack couldn't hear him over the noise. With a sudden lurch Wymer had regained control, unfortunately they were too close to the ground. They came down hard, parts tearing off as the helicopter skidded before finally coming to a halt.

Everyone gasped as they simultaneously let out the breath they had been holding.

"Everyone okay?" Barret wheezed.

By some miracle they were. A little bruised and disoriented, but relatively unharmed. After they shakily exited, and took in just how damaged the helicopter was -again marvelling at how they managed to get out okay- Zack started casting a cure spell on Biggs, trying to at least dull the pain if nothing else.

The wound crudely stitched itself closed. An ugly red welt left in its place that looked like it would tear itself open at any moment. He wasn't as proficient in healing magic as Aerith, but he was confident Biggs would be okay if they got him to a doctor quickly. 

"They really killed all those people." Jessie's voice trembled. 

She had always been so cheerful. Now she just looked so broken. Another life that Shinra had ruined.

"If only we had more time. We could have warned the people up top as well." She laughed and it was bitter sounding. "You don't think Shinra would have evacuated them as well do you?" She turned to Zack, a hopeful spark in her eyes. "I mean, most of the people topside are their workers. They wouldn't just kill off a load of their own would they?"

Of course they would. People were simply tools to Shinra. Easily replaced if needed. As long as things carried on running smoothly did it matter how many cogs needed to be replaced in a machine?

Barret placed a firm hand on Zacks shoulder, forcing him to turn and look at him.

"That friend of yours, please tell me she would have gotten Marlene out." 

"Didn't look like she was captured with Cloud. She probably took her to her place."

"Where is it!?" He asked desperately, shaking Zack forcefully.

"Sector 5. I'll show you the way."

Barret didn't wait for Zack, instead he immediately turned and ran in the direction of sector 5.

"Come on Biggs. Let's get you to a doctor." Jessie's voice sounded lifeless as she let Biggs lean on her for support. Zack also offered his shoulder, as they started to follow Barret who could barely be seen anymore.

"I'm gonna scout around. See if there's any survivors." Wymer informed them.

"Okay. Good luck." Was all he managed to say. What else could he say?

He went to step forward, he felt himself jolt, as if an electric currant ran through his body. The world turned into static. As if he were watching on an old television screen. The green slowly seeped in, filling his senses. Drowning out everything else. Voices from the past echoed violently. A promise and a threat.

"Zack!"

The static disappeared as suddenly as it appeared. He blinked a few times, his mind feeling groggy, as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep.

"Huh?" Was all he could blurt out.

"You were really spaced out just then. And you kind of sounded like you were… whimpering." Tifa stared at him unblinking, as if worried she would miss something.

"Sorry." He muttered. "I'm ok. Really."

Tifa didn't look convinced. "If you're sure. Come on. We need to catch up with Barret, he's already gone on ahead."

Jessie and Biggs both shot him a curious glance as he gave them an apologetic smile in return. Ignoring the tingling feeling that still hadn't left, he carefully helped Jessie carry Biggs towards Sector 5.

No-one noticed the black feather that slowly drifted to the ground nearby, before disintegrating into black smoke.


End file.
